Hideharu Fukao

Loss of placental growth factor protects mice against vascular permeability in pathological conditions.

Vascular leakage contributes to numerous disorders but only a limited number of molecules have been demonstrated to modulate permeability of the vessel wall. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent inducer of vascular leakage. Previous studies demonstrated that exogenous administration of placental growth factor (PlGF), a homologue of VEGF, stimulates vascular permeability but the role of endogenous PlGF in plasma extravasation during pathological conditions remains unknown. We recently generated PlGF deficient (PlGF(-/-)) mice and demonstrated that loss of PlGF impaired pathological angiogenesis by attenuating the response to VEGF. Here, we demonstrate that absence of PlGF reduces vascular leakage induced by skin wounding, allergens, and neurogenic inflammation. These findings suggest that inhibition of PlGF might be an attractive tool to reduce vascular leakage in various diseases.

Enhancement of tissue-type plasminogen activator t-PA activity by purified t-PA receptor expressed in human endothelial cells

We demonstrated previously that tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) bound to its specific receptor (t-PAR) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in suspension and that t-PAR of mol wt. 20 kDa interacted only with t-PA to form 90 kDa complex (Fukao, H., Hagiya, Y., Nonaka, T., Okada, K., and Matsuo, O. (1992) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 187, 956-962). In the present study, 20 kDa t-PAR was purified from HUVEC and the function of the t-PAR was investigated by analyzing its effect on plasminogen activation by t-PA. About 2.2 microg t-PAR protein was purified from cell lysate of 1.0 X 10(9) HUVEC as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) by gel filtration with TSK-3000SW and reversed phase separation with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 125I-t-PA but not 125I-plasminogen specifically bound to the purified t-PAR in ligand blot assay. Plasminogen activation by t-PA in the presence of purified t-PAR in solution was increased. Furthermore, t-PA bound to immobilized t-PAR efficiently expressed its plasminogen activation activity. Kinetic analysis revealed that t-PA in the presence of soluble t-PAR and t-PA bound to immobilized t-PAR exhibited 34- and 90-fold increase in plasminogen activation, respectively. The t-PAR did not interact with anti-annexin II antibody. These findings indicate that the 20 kDa t-PAR is a novel molecule which immobilizes t-PA and enhances its proteolytic activity on the cell surface of endothelial cells.

TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR, TYPE 1 PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR AND THEIR COMPLEX IN PLASMA WITH DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION

The levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), and t-PA/PAI-1 complex antigens were analyzed in the plasma of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) patients and healthy controls. Other fibrinolytic parameters such as the levels of plasminogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-AP), plasmin/alpha 2-AP (PAP), and D-dimer were also estimated to clarify the fibrinolytic states in these plasmas. The antigens of t-PA, PAI-1, and t-PA/PAI-1 complex were found to increase from 8.5 +/- 4.3, 54.4 +/- 21.2, and 8.6 +/- 3.5 ng/ml in normal plasma to 36.4 +/- 25.1, 106.8 +/- 54.7, and 46.6 +/- 34.5 ng/ml in DIC plasma, respectively. The molar ratio of total t-PA to total PAI-1 was 1:6 and 1:3 in normal plasma and DIC plasma, respectively, indicating an enhanced fibrinolytic state in the DIC plasma. The DIC plasma revealed a significant consumption of plasminogen (62.1 +/- 27.8%), and alpha 2-AP (63.7 +/- 25.3%) and an increase in PAP (2.6 +/- 2.7 micrograms/ml) and D-dimer (3.9 +/- 10.7 micrograms/ml). These results suggest that the production and secretion of t-PA and PAI-1 from endothelial cells were enhanced in DIC, resulting in an increased t-PA/PAI-1 complex with dominant fibrinolytic activity.

Effect of hyperthermia on the viability and the fibrinolytic potential of human cancer cell lines.

The effects of heat treatment on the viability and fibrinolytic potential of four cultured human carcinoma cell lines, fibrosarcoma cells (HT-1080), lung adenocarcinoma cells with highly metastatic potential (HAL-8), melanoma cells (Bowes) and osteosarcoma cells (NY), determined by measuring their levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and its specific receptor (u-PAR), were investigated by comparing them with those of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs incubated at 43 degrees C for 120 min exhibited no decrease in viability but exhibited an increase in both u-PA and u-PAR. HT-1080 and HAL-8 showed a moderately high heat-resistance (viability, 60-90%) that correlated with the reduction of u-PAR but not u-PA. On the other hand, Bowes and NY cells, with poor heat-resistance (viability, 20-50%), exhibited stronger cell-associated u-PA activity when they survived at 43 degrees C for 120 min. Since the u-PA/u-PAR system is directly involved in the invasiveness and metastatic potential of carcinoma cells, hyperthermia would alter the biological activity of these carcinoma cells.

Effects of fibrin on the secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 from endothelial cells and on protein kinase C

We previously demonstrated that cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) overlaid with a fibrin clot induced a slight increase in tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) secretion and marked reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secretion. In this study, the intracellular signal transduction after fibrin stimulation was further investigated by analyzing cyclic AMP (cAMP) and protein kinase C (PK-C). When HUVECs were stimulated by fibrin clots, t-PA mRNA increased to 130% but PAI-1 mRNA decreased to 42%. These changes concurred with the data on the protein levels of t-PA and PAI-1 as previously reported. The effect of fibrin on t-PA production in HUVECs was not significantly altered after the elevation of cAMP by either forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP. Furthermore, an effect of fibrin on t-PA production did not appear when the cells were treated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). The suppressive effect of fibrin on PAI-1 secretion from HUVECs was not altered by elevation of cAMP. Regarding the activation of PK-C by PMA, PAI-1 secretion was enhanced, but was suppressed by fibrin stimulation. H-7 suppressed PAI-1 secretion and further stimulation by fibrin almost completely abolished PAI-1 secretion. These changes were well associated with mRNA levels of t-PA and PAI-1. These results suggested that fibrin on HUVECs preferably down-regulates PK-C resulting in a decrease of PAI-1 in both the protein and mRNA levels and that effect of fibrin on t-PA secretion is neither involved in PK-C nor cAMP pathway.

Analysis of binding protein for tissue-type plasminogen activator in human endothelial cells

The specific binding sites for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. After adding 125I-t-PA (M.W. 70 kDa) to endothelial cells in suspension culture, the ligand was recovered from the cell extract after disuccinimidyl suberate treatment as a high molecular complex with M.W. of 90 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The complex reacted to only anti-t-PA IgG but not to anti-PAI-1 IgG immunoblot analysis, indicating a t-PA specific binding protein. 125I-t-PA ligand blotting of the cell extract revealed that the binding protein had M.W. 20 kDa. The binding of 125I-t-PA to endothelial cells was reduced in the presence of an excess amount of t-PA, plasminogen and 6-aminohexanoic acid, indicating that the binding sites were also recognized by plasminogen, and that t-PA and plasminogen were bound via lysine binding sites in the molecule. These findings suggest that human endothelial cells have specific t-PA binding molecules which may be expressed on the cell surface as t-PA receptors.

Suppression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 release by fibrin from human umbilical vein endothelial cells

The effect of fibrin stimulation on the fibrinolytic potential in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was investigated in the normal state and aged state. The amount of antigen of the two fibrinolytic factors, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), was determined using ELISA and the ABC method, respectively. When a fibrin clot was overlayered on the normal HUVEC, the secretion of t-PA or PAI-1 from the HUVEC was greatly changed. That is, PAI antigen was decreased 3-fold and t-PA antigen increased slightly in the conditioned medium. On the other hand, when the aged HUVEC were stimulated by a fibrin clot, PAI antigen was increased 3-fold and t-PA antigen did not change in the conditioned medium. When the level of fibrinolytic activity in the conditioned medium was expressed as the molar ratio of PAI and t-PA (PAI/t-PA), the value in the fibrin-stimulated normal HUVEC was markedly reduced (a 3.5-fold decrease) when compared with that of the non-stimulated normal HUVEC, reflecting a profibrinolytic state. On the other hand, the value in the fibrin-stimulated aged HUVEC was markedly increased (a 5-fold increase) when compared with that of the non-stimulated aged HUVEC, reflecting an antifibrinolytic state. Actinomycin D- or cycloheximide-treated HUVEC showed no response to the fibrin stimulation. We conclude that the level of HUVEC-mediated fibrinolytic activity was regulated mainly by the production and secretion of PAI from the HUVEC to protect against the generation of thrombi. In the aged HUVEC, the regulatory mechanism acts in an opposite manner and a thrombotic process may be induced.

High-performance chromatographic method for the purification of tissue-type plasminogen activator

High-performance affinity chromatography was performed on five ligand-bound columns in an attempt to purify tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), which is a glycoprotein with a high affinity for fibrin and also has two Kringle structures and finger-domain in its molecule. The five columns were concanavalin A-5PW, p-aminobenzamidine-5PW, imidinodiacetic acid-5PW, boric acid-5PW and lysine-5PW. All five were able to rapidly separate t-PA from contaminating proteins, with high resolution and recovery.

Effects of fibrin and α2‐antiplasmin on plasminogen activation by staphylokinase

Staphylokinase obtains plasminogen activating activity by forming a complex with plasminogen. Although the enzymatic activity of staphylokinase is enhanced by fibrin, how fibrin enhances enzymatic activity has not been determined yet. The effects of fibrin, or fibrinogen fragments, on the activation of plasminogen by staphylokinase was investigated using CNBr‐digested fibrinogen fragments (FCB‐2 and FCB‐5) and plasmin‐degraded cross‐linked fibrin fragments ((DD)E complex, DD fragments and E fragments). Kinetic analysis of the activity of staphylokinase revealed that its plasminogen activating activity, which was expressed as kcat/Km, was enhanced by FCB‐2 (10‐fold) and FCB‐5 (5‐fold). These fibrin fragments caused 38‐, 30‐, and 8.5‐fold increases in activity for the DD fragment, (DD)E complex and E fragment, respectively. Although α2‐antiplasmin inhibited the activation of plasminogen by staphylokinase, FCB‐2 abolished its inhibitory effects, and the plasminogen activating activity of staphylokinase was restored. The inhibitory effects of a2‐antiplasmin on the activation of mini‐plasminogen by staphylokinase were less than for Glu‐or Lys‐plasminogen, and the inhibitory effect of α2‐antiplasmin was not altered by fibrin or EACA. These findings indicate that the staphylokinase/plasmin‐(ogen) complex reacts with fibrin even in the presence of α2‐antiplasmin, and efficient plasminogen activation takes place on the surface of fibrin.

Effects of lipopolysaccharide on the expression of fibrinolytic factors in an established cell line from human endothelial cells

Human endothelial cells express antithrombotic properties by producing prostacyclin, heparan sulphate and plasminogen activator (PA). Bacterial extract, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), damaged the blood vessels and destroyed the balance between the antithrombotic and thrombotic functions of endothelial cells. The fibrinolytic system is involved in antithrombotic functions. The TKM-33 cell line was established from human endothelial cells. In order to determine whether TKM-33 is a good fibrinolytic system endothelial cell expression model, the expression of fibrinolytic factors in TKM-33 cells treated with or without LPS was studied. The endothelial cells which had not been treated with LPS produced and secreted a large amount of urokinase-type PA (u-PA), and small amounts of tissue-type PA (t-PA) and PA inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which were identified immunohistochemically and by electrophoretic enzymography. Diisopropylfluorophosphatetreated 125I-u-PA bound specifically to acid-treated monolayered endothelial cells with a Kd of 2.83 ± 0.61 nM, and Bmax of (0.11 ± 0.01) × 106 sites/cell. u-PAR expression was detected in endothelial cells by Northern blot analysis. Thus, endothelial cells was shown to express u-PAR which binds u-PA specifically. In the binding assay, the stimulation of endothelial cells with 0.1, 1.0 and 10 μg/ml of LPS altered the Kd values to 6.04 ± 0.71, 7.03 ± 1.55 and 7.38 ± 1.03 nM, respectively. However the Bmax values did not change significantly. Although LPS treatment increased u-PAR expression in endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner, the expression of u-PA and t-PA mRNAs was not altered significantly. LPS stimulation (10 μg/ml) increased the expression of PAI-1 mRNA, significantly. The PA activity recovered from the cell surface fraction was not affected by LPS stimulation, but the PAI-1 activity was increased. These findings suggest that the established endothelial cell line, TKM-33, possesses the characteristics of endothelial cells and they express u-PAR on their cell surface, which is occupied by intrinsic u-PA secreted from the cells, and that treatment of endothelial cells with LPS changes the cell surface characteristics and inhibited the u-PAR expression thus promoting the prothrombotic function concomitantly with increased PAI-1 activity.