Anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell injury: role of elastase. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The aim of this study was to assess the role of neutrophilic elastase in anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated injury to microvascular endothelium. Cultured bovine microvascular endothelial cells were grown to confluence and labeled with 51Cr. The endothelial cells were exposed to a 30-min period of anoxia and subsequently reoxygenated. Endothelial cell injury, quantitated as 51Cr release and cell detachment, was determined 8 h after reoxygenation. Addition of neutrophils upon reoxygenation enhanced the anoxia-reoxygenation-induced increase in 51Cr release and cell detachment. The neutrophil-mediated injury was associated with elastase release from the neutrophils. Four agents were used to inhibit neutrophilic elastase activity: Eglin C, methoxysuccunyl-Ala2-Pro-Val-CH2Cl, L658,758, and a monoclonal antibody against neutrophilic elastase. All elastase inhibitors attenuated the neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell detachment but not 51Cr release. Addition of purified human neutrophilic elastase, at a level that mimicked the release from neutrophils, increased cell detachment in endothelial cells exposed to anoxia-reoxygenation but did not affect 51Cr release. Our results indicate that elastase plays an important role in anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell dysfunction.

published proceedings

  • Am J Physiol

author list (cited authors)

  • Inauen, W., Granger, D. N., Meininger, C. J., Schelling, M. E., Granger, H. J., & Kvietys, P. R.

citation count

  • 90

complete list of authors

  • Inauen, W||Granger, DN||Meininger, CJ||Schelling, ME||Granger, HJ||Kvietys, PR

publication date

  • September 1990