Induction of mRNAs for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and ELAM-1 in cultured rat cardiac myocytes and myocardium in vivo.

We evaluated the expression of mRNAs for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and in the rat heart by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with gene specific primers. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma induced gene expression for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and ELAM-1 in cultured cardiac myocytes. While mRNA for any of these adhesion molecules was very low or negligible in hearts of control rats, the three mRNAs were substantially induced in hearts 3h after the injection of LPS. Results show that mRNAs for the three inducible adhesion molecules are expressed in cultured cardiac myocytes and rat heart tissues and are enhanced by immune stimulation, suggesting their involvement in cardiac inflammatory disorders.