Edvaldo S. Trindade

Development of new heparin-like compounds and other antithrombotic drugs and their interaction with vascular endothelial cells

The anticlotting and antithrombotic activities of heparin, heparan sulfate, low molecular weight heparins, heparin and heparin-like compounds from various sources used in clinical practice or under development are briefly reviewed. Heparin isolated from shrimp mimics the pharmacological activities of low molecular weight heparins. A heparan sulfate from Artemia franciscana and a dermatan sulfate from tuna fish show a potent heparin cofactor II activity. A heparan sulfate derived from bovine pancreas has a potent antithrombotic activity in an arterial and venous thrombosis model with a negligible activity upon the serine proteases of the coagulation cascade. It is suggested that the antithrombotic activity of heparin and other antithrombotic agents is due at least in part to their action on endothelial cells stimulating the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate.

In vivo and in vitro cytotoxicity of brown spider venom for blood vessel endothelial cells.

The effect of brown spider (Loxosceles intermedia) venom on endothelial cells was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Morphological and ultrastructural observations by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that the venom acts in vivo upon vessel endothelial cells of rabbits that were intradermally injected, evoking vessel instability, cytoplasmic endothelial cell vacuolization, and blebs. Likewise, treatment of rabbit endothelial cells in culture with the venom led to loss of adhesion of the cells to the substrate. Endothelial cells in culture were metabolically radiolabeled with sodium [35S]-sulfate and the sulfated compounds (proteoglycans and sulfated proteins) from medium, cell surface, and extracellular matrix (ECM) were analyzed. Agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE showed that the venom is active on the ECM and on cell surface proteoglycans, shedding these molecules into the culture medium. In addition, when purified heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) and purified laminin-entactin (LN/ET) complex were incubated with the venom we observed a partial degradation of the protein core of HSPG as well as the hydrolysis of entactin. The above results suggest that the L. intermedia venom has a deleterious effect on the endothelium of vessels both in vivo and in culture, removing important constituents such as HSPG and entactin that are involved in the adhesion of endothelial cells and of subendothelial ECM organization.

A fucan from the brown seaweed Spatoglossum schröederi inhibits Chinese hamster ovary cell adhesion to several extracellular matrix proteins

Fucans, a family of sulfated polysaccharides present in brown seaweed, have several biological activities. Their use as drugs would offer the advantage of no potential risk of contamination with viruses or particles such as prions. A fucan prepared from Spatoglossum schröederi was tested as a possible inhibitor of cell-matrix interactions using wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) and the mutant type deficient in xylosyltransferase (CHO-745). The effect of this polymer on adhesion properties with specific extracellular matrix components was studied using several matrix proteins as substrates for cell attachment. Treatment with the polymer inhibited the adhesion of fibronectin to both CHO-K1 (2 x 10(5)) and CHO-745 (2 x 10(5) and 5 x 10(5)) cells. No effect was detected with laminin, using the two cell types. On the other hand, adhesion to vitronectin was inhibited in CHO-K1 cells and adhesion to type I collagen was inhibited in CHO-745 cells. In spite of this inhibition, the fucan did not affect either cell proliferation or cell cycle. These results demonstrate that this polymer is a new anti-adhesive compound with potential pharmacological applications.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like fluorescence assay to investigate the interactions of glycosaminoglycans to cells

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans were labeled with biotin to study their interaction with cells in culture. Thus, heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate were labeled using biotin-hydrazide, under different conditions. The structural characteristics of the biotinylated products were determined by chemical (molar ratios of hexosamine, uronic acid, sulfate and biotin) and enzymatic methods (susceptibility to degradation by chondroitinases and heparitinases). The binding of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans was investigated both in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in culture, using a novel time resolved fluorometric method based on interaction of europium-labeled streptavidin with the biotin covalently linked to the compounds. The interactions of glycosaminoglycans were saturable and number of binding sites could be obtained for each individual compound. The apparent dissociation constant varied among the different glycosaminoglycans and between the two cell lines. The interactions of the biotinylated glycosaminoglycans with the cells were also evaluated using confocal microscopy. We propose a convenient and reliable method for the preparation of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans, as well as a sensitive non-competitive fluorescence-based assay for studies of the interactions and binding of these compounds to cells in culture.

The binding of heparin to the extracellular matrix of endothelial cells up-regulates the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate proteoglycan†

Exposure of endothelial cells to heparin and other antithrombotic drugs specifically stimulates the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate (HS). In the present work, biotinylated heparin (BiotHep) was used to characterize the binding site(s) of heparin responsible for the stimulus in HS synthesis on endothelial cells. No differences were observed between biotinylated and non‐biotinylated heparin in their ability to increase the synthesis of HS. In kinetic studies the BiotHep showed fast, saturable and specific binding with an apparent KD of 83 nM to adherent cells and 44 nM to the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the absence of cells. By confocal and electron microscopy, BiotHep bound only to the ECM, co‐localizing with fibronectin. The same pattern of binding to the ECM was observed using heparin conjugated with FITC or Alexa Fluor 488 in the presence or absence of fetal calf serum. However, after degradation of HS, heparin binds to the cell surface, indicating that endogenous HS possibly occupied the heparin binding sites. Analyses by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy of cells with non‐associated ECM, showed labeling of the cell surface using syndecan‐4 monoclonal antibody as well as wheat germ agglutinin, but no binding of heparin. Furthermore, the stimulation in HS synthesis is not elicited by heparin in the absence of ECM. These results indicate that the stimulus for the synthesis of HS does not require binding of the heparin to the cell surface, and the signaling may be mediated through the ECM. J. Cell. Physiol. 217: 328–337, 2008.

Heparan sulfate and control of cell division: adhesion and proliferation of mutant CHO-745 cells lacking xylosyl transferase

We have examined the role of cell surface glycosaminoglycans in cell division: adhesion and proliferation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. We used both wild-type (CHO-K1) cells and a mutant (CHO-745) which is deficient in the synthesis of proteoglycans due to lack of activity of xylosyl transferase. Using different amounts of wild-type and mutant cells, little adhesion was observed in the presence of laminin and type I collagen. However, when fibronectin or vitronectin was used as substrate, there was an enhancement in the adhesion of wild-type and mutant cells. Only CHO-K1 cells showed a time-dependent adhesion on type IV collagen. These results suggest that the two cell lines present different adhesive profiles. Several lines of experimental evidence suggest that heparan sulfate proteoglycans play a role in cell adhesion as positive modulators of cell proliferation and as key participants in the process of cell division. Proliferation and cell cycle assays clearly demonstrate that a decrease in the amount of glycosaminoglycans does not inhibit the proliferation of mutant CHO-745 cells when compared to the wild type CHO-K1, in agreement with the findings that both CHO-K1 and CHO-745 cells take 8 h to enter the S phase.

Heparin and a cyclic octaphenol-octasulfonic acid (GL-522-Y-1) bind with high affinity to a 47-kDa protein from vascular endothelial cell surface and stimulate the synthesis and structural changes of heparan sulfate proteoglycan

The effect of a cyclic octaphenol-octasulfonic acid (GL-522-Y-1), upon the synthesis of a heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesized by endothelial cells (rabbit aorta and human umbilical vein) were studied. The cells were exposed to the compounds at various concentrations for different periods of time and the synthesized heparan sulfates analyzed by a combination of agarose gel electrophoresis and enzymatic degradation. The GL-522-Y-1, like heparin, change the sulfation pattern and stimulate two- to three-fold the synthesis of heparan sulfate proteoglycan secreted by rabbit and human endothelial cells in culture. GL-522-Y-1, besides being 100 times more active than heparin, also produces a significant enhancement of cell surface heparan sulfate in human vein endothelial cells. The effect of GL-522-Y-1 is completely abolished by methylation or acetylation of its free hydroxyl groups. Both heparin and GL-522-Y-1 have high affinity for a 47-kDa protein present at the surface of endothelial cells. These and other results lead us to speculate that the antithrombotic activity of heparin and GL522 in vivo could be related, at least in part, to the increased production of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan by endothelial cells.

Internalization and degradation of heparin is not required for stimulus of heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis

In vitro, heparin and antithrombotic drugs specifically stimulate the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) produced by endothelial cells. The putative heparin binding site(s) that may be related to this phenomenon were investigated. In the preceding article, using various heparin probes, it was shown that the heparin does not bind to the endothelial cell surface, but only to the extracellular matrix. The present study demonstrated that, when the cells were exposed to heparin at 37°C, the heparin was internalized and with time was localized in lysosomes. However, endocytosis of heparin was not required for the stimulation of HSPG synthesis. The requirement for heparin degradation in the stimulus of HSPG synthesis was also investigated. When the cells were incubated with chloroquine, a lysosomotropic amine that raises the lysosomal pH thus inhibiting enzymatic degradation of internalized compounds, stimulation of HSPG synthesis was still observed. These combined results indicate that neither internalization nor degradation of heparin is required for stimulation of HSPG synthesis, and suggests that its binding to the extracellular matrix could be responsible for this effect. J. Cell. Physiol. 217: 360–366, 2008.

Glycosaminoglycan backbone is not required for the modulation of hemostasis: Effect of different heparin derivatives and non-glycosaminoglycan analogs☆

Heparin and its derivatives are known to regulate a variety of pathophysiological events related to vascular biology. In the present manuscript we examine a variety of heparinomimetics biochemically (electrophoretic behavior and enzymatic degradation) and pharmacologically (in vitro anticoagulant activity and in vivo hemorrhagic and antithrombotic tests) as well as their interactions with cells from the vessel wall using a time resolved fluorometric method and confocal microscopy. Data were determined for unfractionated heparin (UFH), enoxaparin, synthetic heparin pentasaccharide, C3 heparin derived oligosaccharides and phosphosulfomannan (PI-88). While being structurally distinct from UFH, all compounds exhibited anticoagulant, antithrombotic and hemorrhagic activities. In addition, besides the pentasaccharide, they all stimulated the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate present at the cell surface and secreted by endothelial cells. Also, like UFH, they interacted with both endothelial and smooth muscle cells and dislodged UFH from its binding sites in a dose dependent manner but, with distinct saturable curves showing that the binding of polymeric structures to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins does not depend on a glycosaminoglycan backbone. The data also suggest a common pathway, which does not depend on the presence of the conventionally accepted antithrombin binding pentasaccharide, for ECM dependent activity of the heparinomimetic stimulated synthesis of antithrombotic heparan sulfate. Notably, although of similar molecular weight as well as polymeric backbone, the synthetic heparin pentasaccharide showed significant hemorrhagic action and negligible antithrombotic activity in a venous thrombosis model, contrasting with C3, that displayed negligible hemorrhagic effect and potent antithrombotic action. These results provide evidence that structurally unrelated polymers can elicit similar hemostatic activities and show that polymeric sequence is not always crucial for certain activities. The results also suggest that non-GAG structures may provide an alternative route for the pharmaceutical control of hemostasis.

NeurogeNesis iNduced by seizures iN the deNtate gyrus is Not related to mossy fiber sproutiNg but is age depeNdeNt iN developiNg rats

Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) has attracted attention since abnormal supragranular mossy fiber sprouting occurs in the same region, in temporal lobe epilepsy. Thus, we submitted developing rats to pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) to study the relationship between neurogenesis and mossy fiber sprouting. Groups were submitted to SE at: I-P9, II-P7, P8 and P9, III-P17 e IV-P21. Neurogenesis was quantified using BrdU protocol and confirmed through double staining, using neuronal pentraxin. Other animals were monitored by video system until P120 and their brain was studied (Timm and Nissl staining). The neurogenesis at P17 (p=0.007) and P21 (p=0.006) were increased. However, only P21 group showed recurrent seizures and the mossy fiber sprouting in the same region, during adult life, while P17 did not. Thus, our results suggest that neurogenesis is not related to mossy fiber sprouting neither to recurrent spontaneous seizures in pilocarpine model.