Heterogeneity of vascular endothelial cells: differences in susceptibility to neutrophil-mediated injury

Vascular endothelial cells are key participants in the development of inflammatory-mediated tissue injury. Not all tissues have the same response to inflammation and the role of vascular endothelial cells in this response is unclear. The objective of this study was to compare cultured primary endothelial cells derived from a variety of microvascular and macrovascular sources within the same species, rat. We developed and compared primary cultures of endothelial cells from dermis, kidney and lung microvasculature, pulmonary artery and vein, renal artery and vein, and aorta. Endothelial cells were similar in their growth characteristics, ability to take up DiI-Ac-LDL, and expression of ICAM-1, regardless of their site of origin. In contrast, susceptibility to injury by PMA-activated neutrophils differed markedly among cells from different tissues as well as between microvascular and macrovascular endothelial cells from the same tissue. This study demonstrated that while endothelial cells maintain some fundamental characteristics regardless of their origin, clear site-specific differences are evident in the sensitivity of endothelial cells to injury mediated by activated neutrophils.