Increased migration by stimulation of thymidine phosphorylase in endothelial cells of different origin

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) catalyzes the phosphorylytic cleavage of thymidine to thymine and deoxyribose-1-phosphate. The latter may be involved in the angiogenic stimulation of TP. In the present study, we investigated whether thymidine and deoxyribose (dR) could stimulate angiogenesis in vitro of two types of endothelial cells (isolated from umbilical veins (HUVEC) and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFC)), and whether the stereoisomer L-deoxyribose (L-dR) and the thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor (TPI) could reduce this. Both cell types had a low TP activity. Thymidine increased the migration of both HUVECs and ECFCs, but dR only that of the ECFCs. The invasion was not changed by any of the agents tested. In conclusion, TP may play a role in the migration of HUVECs and ECFCs, but not the invasion.