Endothelialitis

Dekker A, Reitsma K, Beugeling T, Bant]es A, Fei]en J and van Aken W G 1991 Adhesion of endothelial-oells and adsorption of serum-proteins on gas plasma-treated polytetrafluoroethylene S/omaferfa/s 12 130-8... 

Three years later Robert F Furchgott discov ered that the relaxing of smooth muscles such as blood vessel walls was stimulated by an unknown substance produced in the lining of the blood vessels (the endothelium) He called this substance the endothelium-dependent relaxing factor or EDRF and in 1986 showed that EDRF was NO Louis J Ignarro reached the same conclusion at about the same time Further support was provided by Salvador Moncada who showed that endothelial cells did in deed produce NO and that the l arginine to l citrulline conversion was responsible... 

These interactions involve adhesion proteins called selectins, which are found both on the rolling leukocytes and on the endothelial cells of the vascular walls. Selectins have a characteristic domain structure, consisting of an N-terminal extracellular lectin domain, a single epidermal growth factor (EGR) domain, a series of two to nine short consensus repeat (SCR) domains, a single transmembrane segment, and a short cytoplasmic domain. Lectin domains, first characterized in plants, bind carbohydrates... 

These small-molecule thiols serve to transfer NO from erythrocytes to endothelial receptors, where it acts to relax vascular tension. NO itself is a reactive free-radical compound whose biological half-life is very short (1-5 sec). S-nitrosoglutathione has a half-life of several hours. 

Human adrenomedullin is a 52-amino acid peptide belonging to the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)/amylin peptide family. It is synthesized mainly in endothelial cells and elicits vasodilation. 

The a subunits, for which two isoforms exist in mammals (al, a2), contain conventional protein serine/threonine kinase domains at the N-terminus, with a threonine residue in the activation loop (Thr-172) that must be phosphorylated by upstream kinases (see below) before the kinase is active. The kinase domain is followed by an autoinhibitory domain, whose effect is somehow relieved by interaction with the other subunits. The C-terminal domain of the a subunit is required for the formation of a complex with the C-terminal domain of the (3 subunit, which in turn mediates binding to the y subunit. The al and a2 catalytic subunit isoforms are widely distributed, although a2 is most abundant in muscle and may be absent in cells of the endothelial/hemopoietic lineage. 

AMPK can also be activated by a Ca2+-mediated pathway involving phosphorylation at Thr-172 by the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, CaMKK 3. CaMKKa and CaMKK 3 were discovered as the upstream kinase for the calmodulin-dependent protein kinases-1 and -IV they both activate AMPK in a Ca2+/ calmodulin-dependent manner in cell-free assays, although CaMKK 3 appears to much more active against AMPK in intact cells. Expression of CaMKKa and CaMKK(3 primarily occurs in neural tissues, but CaMKKp is also expressed in some other cell types. Thus, the Ca2+-mediated pathway for AMPK activation has now been shown to occur in response to depolarization in rat neuronal tissue, in response to thrombin (acting via a Gq-coupled receptor) in endothelial cells, and in response to activation of the T cell receptor in T cells. 

Vascular Endothelial Growth Inhibitor (Protein sharing homology with TNF-a) Inhibits EC proliferation... 

Thrombospondins Inhibits EC proliferation, migration and induces EC apoptosis by binding to endothelial CD36... 

Marimastat Metalloproteinase inhibitor, inhibits endothelial cell invasion... 

Vascular gene therapy Transfer of dominant-negative receptors or suicide genes under the control of angiogenic endothelial cell specific promoters... 

Systematic screening experiments have identified more than 100 synthetic compounds with potent antiangiogenic activity. The mode of action for most of these molecules is not well understood, but some of the 40 compounds are well advanced in clinical trials (Table 3). The first substance to have entered clinical trials was the Fumagillin-derivative AGM 1470. Fumagillin is an antibiotic which inhibits bFGF- and PDGF-induced endothelial cell proliferation. The mechanism of action of AGM 1470 is poorly understood, but it was shown that it binds and inhibits the metalloprotease methionine aminopeptidase (MetAp-2). 

Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent natural anticoagulant activated by thrombin to form APC in the presence of the endothelial receptor, TM. APC proteolyzes factors Va and Villa, thus downregulating thrombin generation. APC may also have anti-inflammatory... 

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