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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Isolation of Mouse Coronary Endothelial Cells
Published on: July 3, 2016
Feasibility of endothelial cell isolation from routine coronary function testing in ANOCA patients
Elize A M de Jong1, Daniek M C Kapteijn1, Mark A Daniels1
1Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Insights
Researchers successfully isolated endothelial cells (ECs) from routine cardiac catheterization samples in patients with angina with nonobstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA). This breakthrough enables direct study of endothelial dysfunction in ANOCA patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Cell Biology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Angina with nonobstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA) is a complex condition with endothelial dysfunction as a key feature.
- Studying patient-derived endothelial cells (ECs) is crucial but challenging due to limited sample availability.
- Existing methods for obtaining disease-specific ECs are insufficient for comprehensive ANOCA research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the feasibility of isolating and culturing endothelial cells (ECs) from catheterization material.
- To establish a reliable method for obtaining patient-derived ECs for ANOCA research.
- To enable in-depth investigation of endothelial dysfunction mechanisms in ANOCA.
Main Methods:
- Collected catheterization material from 79 ANOCA patients undergoing coronary function testing.
- Isolated and expanded endothelial cells (ECs) using established cell culture techniques.
- Characterized isolated ECs via immunostaining, flow cytometry, gene expression profiling, and functional assays.
Main Results:
- Successful EC isolation achieved in 43% of cases, yielding 34 expandable primary cultures.
- Isolated ECs exhibited characteristic morphology and endothelial markers, stable up to passage 10.
- Functional assays confirmed ECs retained wound healing, angiogenesis, and inflammatory response capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Direct isolation and expansion of ECs from routine ANOCA catheterization material is feasible.
- Patient-derived ECs maintain endothelial characteristics and functionality for research purposes.
- This method provides a valuable tool for studying the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction in ANOCA.
Background:
Angina with nonobstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA) is a heterogeneous condition encompassing distinct endotypes representing different underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Endothelial dysfunction is considered a central hallmark of ANOCA. However, studying patient-derived endothelial cells (ECs) remains challenging due to the limited availability of disease-specific endothelial samples. We therefore aimed to assess the feasibility of isolating and culturing ECs from catheterization material obtained during routine coronary function testing in ANOCA patients.
Methods:
Catheterization material was collected from 79 ANOCA patients (84% female, age 58 ± 10 years) undergoing coronary function testing. ECs were isolated, expanded and characterized using immunostaining, flow cytometry, gene expression profiling and functional assays.
Results:
EC isolation was successful in 43% of cases and resulted in 34 primary EC cultures that were expanded up to passage 10. Isolation success was independent of clinical or procedural characteristics. Isolated cells exhibited typical EC morphology and expressed EC markers confirmed by immunostaining, flow cytometry and gene expression analyses. EC marker gene expression remained largely stable over passages. However, stress- and defense-related gene expression programs increased over time, while proliferation-related processes decreased. Functional assays demonstrated that the coronary catheterization-derived ECs showed typical properties of wound healing, angiogenesis, activation responses upon stimuli and monocyte adhesion.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the feasibility of isolating and expanding ECs directly from catheterization material collected during routine coronary function testing in ANOCA patients. These patient-derived ECs retain characteristic endothelial features and functionality. This approach offers primary EC cultures to study the mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction in ANOCA.
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