Rapid chemokine secretion from endothelial cells originates from 2 distinct compartments

The neutrophil-attracting chemokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) is stored in the Weibel-Palade body (WPB) of endothelial cells (ECs) from which it can be rapidly released after exposure to the secretagogues histamine or thrombin. In this manner, IL-8 may enable rapid recruitment of leukocytes to inflammatory sites. To explore the possible storage of EC-derived chemokines that may attract other subsets of leukocytes, we examined the intracellular localization and secretagogue responsiveness of growth-related oncogene alpha (GROalpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), eotaxin-3, interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). While eotaxin-3, GROalpha, and MCP-1 were rapidly released from ECs, the release of the T-cell attractors RANTES and IP-10 was not sensitive to the secretagogues. Moreover, of the 3 former chemokines, only eotaxin-3 was stored in WPBs. GROalpha and MCP-1 resided mainly in smaller vesicles compatible with sorting to a different, histamine-responsive compartment, which has been described in ECs although not reported to contain chemokines. In conclusion, we propose that rapid release of chemokines is restricted to those primarily recruiting leukocytes of the innate immune system, and that their storage in ECs is not restricted to the WPB compartment.