Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) from cultured and fresh endothelial cells

Porcine or bovine endothelial cells cultured on microcarrier beads, packed into adapted chromatographic columns, perfused with Krebs' buffer and activated with appropriate stimuli (e.g. bradykinin, ADP or phospholipase C) release EDRF and prostacyclin into the perfusing fluid. In the effluent EDRF and prostacyclin might be bio-assayed using the Vane's superfusion cascade (rabbit aortic strips and bovine coronary artery strips, respectively) against nitroglycerine (GTN) and synthetic prostacyclin standards. Prostacyclin might be also quantified as 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by RIA. A spatial separation of the generator (endothelial cells) from the effector (vascular smooth muscle) has allowed to prove that EDRF is nitric oxide, that its activity is inhibited by superoxide anions and by chemicals which act via free radicals, finally, that the release of EDRF and prostacyclin is coupled by a receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase C. Although so successful, the above technique suffers from its essentials, i.e. from using cultured cells instead of fresh intact endothelial cells. Cultured endothelial cells are not responsive to many receptor agonists including acetylcholine, substance P and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Unlike fresh intact endothelial preparations the cultured cells which are perfused with Krebs' buffer generate superoxide anions at such concentrations that it might be obligatory infusing superoxide dismutase in order to detect EDRF. Nonetheless, a couple of data obtained with the cultured endothelial cells have been reproduced in the fresh cell preparations, e.g. release of EDRF by ADP and ATP, a coupled release of EDRF and prostacyclin by phospholipase C or a paradoxical augmentation of the sodium-nitroprusside-induced vasorelaxation by methylene blue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)