We have identified conditions for forming cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) into tubes within a threedimensional gel that on implantation into immunoincompetent mice undergo remodeling into complex microvessels lined by human endothelium. HUVEC suspended in mixed collagen͞ fibronectin gels organize into cords with early lumena by 24 h and then apoptose. Twenty-hour constructs, s.c. implanted in immunodeficient mice, display HUVEC-lined thin-walled microvessels within the gel 31 days after implantation. Retroviral-mediated overexpression of a caspase-resistant Bcl-2 protein delays HUVEC apoptosis in vitro for over 7 days. Bcl-2-transduced HUVEC produce an increased density of HUVEC-lined perfused microvessels in vivo compared with untransduced or control-transduced HUVEC. Remarkably, Bcl-2-but not control-transduced HUVEC recruit an ingrowth of perivascular smooth-muscle ␣-actin-expressing mouse cells at 31 days, which organize by 60 days into HUVEC-lined multilayered structures resembling true microvessels. This system provides an in vivo model for dissecting mechanisms of microvascular remodeling by using genetically modified endothelium. Incorporation of such human endothelial-lined microvessels into engineered synthetic skin may improve graft viability, especially in recipients with impaired angiogenesis.

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular malformations that affect the central nervous system and result in cerebral hemorrhage, seizure and stroke. CCM arises from loss-of-function mutations in one of three genes: CCM1, CCM2 and CCM3 (PDCD10). CCM3 mutations in human often result in a more severe form of the disease, and CCM3 knockout mice show severe phenotypes with yet-to-be defined mechanisms. We have recently reported that CCM3 regulates UNC13 family-mediated exocytosis. Here we investigate endothelial cells (EC) exocytosis in CCM disease progression. We find that CCM3 suppresses UNC13B/VAMP3-dependent exocytosis of angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) in brain endothelial cells. CCM3 ablation in EC augments exocytosis and secretion of ANGPT2, correlating with destabilized EC junctions, enlarged lumen formation, and endothelial cell-pericyte dissociations. UNC13B deficiency that blunts ANGPT2 secretion from EC or an ANGPT2 neutralization antibody normalizes the defects caused by CCM3 deficiency. More importantly, ANGPT2 neutralization antibody treatment or UNC13B deficiency blunts the CCM lesion phenotypes, including disruption of EC junctions, vessel dilation and pericyte dissociation, in the brains and retinas caused by endothelial cell-specific CCM3 inactivation. Our study reveals that enhanced secretion of ANGPT2 in endothelial cells contributes to the progression of the CCM disease, providing a novel therapeutic approach to treat this devastating pathology.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced ICAM-1 in endothelial cells (EC) promotes leukocyte adhesion. Here we report that ICAM-1 also effects EC barrier function. Control- or E-selectin-transduced human dermal microvascular EC (HDMEC) form a barrier to flux of proteins and to passage of current (measured as transendothelial electrical resistance or TEER). HDMEC transduced with ICAM-1 at levels comparable to that induced by TNF show reduced TEER, but do so without overtly changing their cell junctions, cell shape, or cytoskeleton organization. Higher levels of ICAM-1 further reduce TEER, increase F/G-actin ratios, rearrange the actin cytoskeleton to cause cell elongation, and alter junctional zona occludens 1 and vascular endothelial-cadherin staining. Transducing with ICAM-1 lacking an intracellular region also reduces TEER. TNF-induced changes in TEER and shape follow a similar time course as ICAM-1 induction; however, the fall in TEER occurs at lower TNF concentrations. Inhibiting NF-kappaB activation blocks ICAM-1 induction; TEER reduction, and shape change. Specific small-interfering RNA knockdown of ICAM-1 partially inhibits TNF-induced shape change. We conclude that moderately elevated ICAM-1 expression reduces EC barrier function and that expressing higher levels of ICAM-1 affects cell junctions and the cytoskeleton. Induction of ICAM-1 may contribute to but does not fully account for TNF-induced vascular leak and EC shape change.

Activation of the classical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways by ligation of the lymphotoxin (LT)-β receptor (LTβR) plays a crucial role in lymphoid organogenesis and in the generation of ectopic lymphoid tissue at sites of chronic inflammation. Within these microenvironments, LTβR signaling regulates the phenotype of the specialized high endothelial cells. However, the direct effects of LTβR ligation on endothelial cells remain unclear. We therefore questioned whether LTβR ligation could directly activate endothelial cells and regulate classical and noncanonical NF-κB-dependent gene expression. We demonstrate that the LTβR ligands LIGHT and LTα1β2 activate both NF-κB pathways in HUVECs and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC). Classical pathway activation was less robust than TNF-induced signaling; however, only LIGHT and LTα1β2 and not TNF activated the noncanonical pathway. LIGHT and LTα1β2 induced the expression of classical NF-κB-dependent genes in HUVEC, including those encoding the adhesion molecules E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. Consistent with this stimulation, LTβR ligation up-regulated T cell adhesion to HUVEC. Furthermore, the homeostatic chemokine CXCL12 was up-regulated by LIGHT and LTα1β2 but not TNF in both HUVEC and HDMEC. Using HUVEC retrovirally transduced with dominant negative IκB kinase α, we demonstrate that CXCL12 expression is regulated by the noncanonical pathway in endothelial cells. Our findings therefore demonstrate that LTβR ligation regulates gene expression in endothelial cells via both NF-κB pathways and we identify CXCL12 as a bona fide noncanonical NF-κB-regulated gene in these cells.

Objective To assess the role claudin-5, an endothelial cell (EC) tight junction (TJ) protein, plays in establishing basal permeability levels in humans by comparing claudin-5 expression levels in situ and analyzing junctional organization and function in two widely used models of cultured ECs, namely human dermal microvascular (HDM)ECs and human umbilical vein (HUV)ECs. Methods and Results By immunofluorescence microscopy, ECs more highly express claudin-5 (but equivalently express VE-cadherin) in human dermal capillaries versus post-capillary venules and in umbilical and coronary arteries versus veins, correlating with known segmental differences in TJ frequencies and permeability barriers. Post-confluent cultured HDMECs express more claudin-5 (but equivalent VE-cadherin) and show higher transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and lower macromolecular flux than similarly cultured HUVECs. HDMEC junctions are more complex by transmission electron microscopy and show more continuous claudin-5 immunofluorescence than HUVEC junctions. Calcium chelation or dominant negative VE-cadherin overexpression decreases TEER and disrupts junctions in HUVECs, but not in HDMECs. Claudin-5 overexpression in HUVECs fails to increase TEER or claudin-5 continuity while claudin-5 knockdown in HDMECs, but not HUVECs, reduces TEER and increases antibody accessibility to junctional proteins. Conclusions Claudin-5 expression and junctional organization control HDMEC and arteriolar-capillary paracellular barriers whereas HUVEC and venular junctions utilize VE-cadherin.