Norepinephrine and iloprost improve barrier function of human endothelial cell monolayers: role of cAMP

The barrier function of human artery endothelial cells was improved by addition of agents that increase the cellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) concentration. Together with a decrease in the passage rate of peroxidase, an increase in the transendothelial electrical resistance was observed. A direct correlation was found between the relative increases in cellular cAMP concentration and the relative decrease in peroxidase passage after incubation of the cells with forskolin (0.25 and 2.5 microM), the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (10 microM), and the stable prostacyclin analogue iloprost (10 microM). Norepinephrine (10 microM) reduced the peroxidase passage to a much larger extent (40% reduction) than might be expected on the basis of a small increase of cAMP concentration. This small increase in cAMP (44%) was the result of interactions of norepinephrine with beta-adrenergic receptors, which increase cAMP, and alpha-adrenergic receptors, which decrease cAMP. The relatively strong reduction in permeability (also found in the presence of the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine) suggests that an additional cAMP-independent mechanism underlaid the barrier-improving effect of norepinephrine. A marked elevation of cAMP by forskolin was accompanied by a disappearance of F-actin and myosin from stress fibers. They were found diffusely spread over the cell, and F-actin in the cell periphery became prominently visible.