Endothelial cells from bovine adrenal medulla develop capillary-like growth patterns in culture.

Abstract

The endocrine barrier between chromaffin cells and the blood stream in the adrenal medulla is made of capillary endothelial cells. We have now succeeded in isolating endothelial cells from adrenal medullary tissue, which are probably derived from this barrier. These cells grow on plastic surfaces in the absence of special growth factors or collagen overlays and differentiate into organized structures quite similar to true capillaries. The cells contain factor VIII:R, a marker for endothelial cells, and form intercellular junctions characteristic of capillary endothelial cells. They also synthesize and secrete basal lamina structures and engage in transcytosis, a characteristic ultrastructural and functional combination of exocytosis and endocytosis across the thin endothelial cell processes. These endothelial cells can take up and deaminate catecholamines by A-type monoamine oxidase, an enzyme functionally distinct from the B-type monoamine oxidase found in chromaffin cells. These data indicate that the chromaffin cell and its endothelial cell neighbor may constitute the functional unit of catecholamine metabolism in the adrenal medulla.

Inhibition of breast tumor growth and angiogenesis by a medicinal herb: Ocimum gratissimum

“…com cells are derived from the human preneoplastic breast cancer cells MCF10A. Bovine Adrenal Medulla Endothelial Cells (BAMEC) were a gift from Dr. D. Banerjee (University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR) 27 and cultured in medium consisting of minimal essential medium with Earle's salts and L-glutamine (EMEM) (Invitrogen) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (Hyclone, Logan, UT) and antibiotics (Mediatech). All the cells were maintained in a humidified chamber with 95% air and 5% CO 2 at 37°C.…”

Co‐existence of P2Y‐ and PPADS‐insensitive P2U‐purinoceptors in endothelial cells from adrenal medulla

“…Endothelial cells were separated from chromaffin cells by differential plating as described by Banerjee et al (1985) with minor modifications. Briefly, dissociated cells were seeded in 75-cm2 culture flasks (Falcon) at a density of 30 x 106 cells per 30 ml of culture medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum, 50 u ml-' penicillin, 50 ug ml-' streptomycin, 100 Mg ml1-kanamycin, and 2.5 Mg ml1-amphotericin), at 37°C in 5% CO2 and 95% air.…”

“…This high vascularization provides a rapid output pathway into the main bloodstream for the hormones secreted by the gland. The endothelial cells that form the walls of adrenomedullary capillaries are thought to play an important role in the transport of secreted catecholamines into the blood (Banerjee et al, 1985). Furthermore, endothelial cells participate in the regulation of local blood flow (Boeynaems & Pearson, 1990), which is known to increase in the adrenal gland upon stimulation of chromaffin cells and thus facilitates the exporting of secreted products (Jordan et al, 1989).…”

Primary culture of bovine chromaffin cells

“…We have achieved acceptable results with and without using DNAseI, but have not systematically tested its value. Other cell types in these cultures Although the Percoll gradient step enriches the presence of chromaffin cells in these cultures, the resulting cell types are still somewhat heterogeneous; other cell types identified in the cultures include endothelial cells 26 and adrenal cortical cells 27 , although specific identification of other cells in a given culture is typically not performed, and such cells are often referred to non-specifically as 'fibroblasts' . As (unlike chromaffin cells) these other adrenal cells are not terminally differentiated and continue to divide, antimetabolites (AraC and 5-FDU) are usually included to limit growth of non-chromaffin cells.…”