High molecular weight kininogen inhibition of endothelial cell function on biomaterials

Synthetic vascular grafts implanted into humans fail to develop a complete endothelial lining. In previous studies, we have shown that high-molecular-weight kininogens (HMWK) adsorb to the surfaces of biomaterials. In addition, it has been demonstrated that these proteins modulate cellular function. In the present study, we report on the adhesion and proliferation of human umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on tissue culture polystyrene, glass, polyurethane, and Mylar(trade mark) surfaces coated with human HMWK, either single-chain HMWK (SC-HMWK) or double-chain HMWK (DC-HMWK). Surfaces coated with fibronectin served as a positive control for these experiments. Parallel experiments were performed in which HUVEC were allowed to migrate from crosslinked dextran microcarrier beads (Cytodex 2) onto HMWK-coated surfaces. Our results indicate that HMWK-coated surfaces inhibit endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration at 24 and 72 h, and this inhibition is concentration dependent. To determine a potential mechanism for this inhibitory phenomenon, cells were stained for cytoskeletal actin filaments using rhodamine-phalloidin. Endothelial cells on HMWK-coated surfaces displayed F-actin filament reorganization/disassembly, characterized by the absence of peripheral actin bands in focal adhesion contacts. We conclude that HMWK inhibit endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration on a variety of biomaterial surfaces. This inhibitory effect may play a role in promoting the lack of endothelialization in synthetic vascular grafts, which is thought to play a significant role in the failure of these devices.