Smooth muscle cell phenotype alters cocultured endothelial cell response to biomaterial-pretreated leukocytes

Model in vitro culturing systems were developed to analyze roles of biomaterial-induced leukocyte activation on endothelial cell (EC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype, and their crosstalk. Isolated monocytes or neutrophils were pretreated with model biomaterial beads and applied directly to "more secretory" (cultured in media containing 5% fetal bovine serum) or forced contractile (serum and growth factor starved) human aortic SMCs (HASMCs), or to the human aortic EC (HAEC) surface of HAEC/HASMC cocultures (HASMC phenotype varied to be "more or less secretory") for 5 or 24 h of static culture. Surface expression of proinflammatory [ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin], procoagulant (tissue factor), and anticoagulant (thrombomodulin) markers, as well as HAEC proliferation, were assessed by flow cytometry. Incubation of HAEC with biomaterial-pretreated monocytes (and neutrophils to lesser degree) suppressed HAEC proliferation and induced a proinflammatory/procoagulant HAEC phenotype. This HAEC phenotype was amplified in coculture with "more secretory" HASMCs and subdued in coculture with "less secretory" HASMCs. Direct incubation of biomaterial-pretreated monocytes or neutrophils with "more secretory" HASMCs further increased HASMC ICAM-1 and tissue factor expression. Direct incubation of biomaterial-pretreated monocytes or neutrophils with forced contractile HASMCs upregulated ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and tissue factor expression above the presence of serum-containing media alone.