Angiostatin upregulates E-selectin in proliferating endothelial cells.

Angiostatin, a 38 kilodalton fragment of plasminogen, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. However, little is known about how angiostatin affects endothelial gene expression. To learn more about its effect on endothelial-specific genes implicated in angiogenesis, we examined E-selectin expression and function in bovine capillary endothelial cells treated with recombinant angiostatin. Angiostatin caused a four to five-fold increase in E-selection polypeptide levels in proliferating endothelial cells but little or no increase in confluent cells. P-selection polypeptide levels were unaffected by angiostatin in either proliferating or confluent cells. E-selectin mRNA and adhesion activity in proliferating endothelial cells were also increased by angiostatin. Angiostatin had little effect on the distribution of endothelial cells in G0/G1, S, and G2/M, indicating angiostatin does not alter cell cycle progression significantly. These data demonstrate that angiostatin selectively upregulates E-selectin in proliferating endothelial cells in vitro. This selectivity may provide insights into the mechanism by which angiostatin inhibits tumor growth in vivo without apparent effects on quiescent endothelium.