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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

On-Chip Endothelial Inflammatory Phenotyping
Published on: July 21, 2012
Insulin potentiates cytokine-induced VCAM-1 expression in human endothelial cells
Rosalinda Madonna1, Marika Massaro, Raffaele De Caterina
1Institute of Cardiology, Center of Excellence on Aging, G. d'Annunzio University-Chieti, Italy.
Abstract:
Hyperinsulinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and may contribute to cardiovascular disease. Low-grade chronic inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We aimed at determining the impact of pathophysiologically high insulin concentrations on cytokine-induced endothelial activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). HUVEC were incubated with insulin (0-24 h)+/-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At pathophysiological/pharmacological concentrations (10(-9)-10(-7) mol/L), insulin selectively induced VCAM-1 expression and potentiated the effects of TNF-alpha andLPS, effects reverted by the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. Compared with TNF-alpha alone, insulin+TNF-alpha doubled U937 cell adhesion. Insulin markedly increased TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation and induced phosphorylated IkappaB-alpha accumulation. Therefore, hyperinsulinemia enhances cytokine-induced VCAM-1 expression in endothelial cells, thus potentially contributing to detrimental effects of other inflammatory stimuli on atherogenesis.
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