Production of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 by human saphenous vein endothelial cells seeded onto endarterectomy surfaces in vitro.

Abstract

Endothelial cells produce many biologically important factors that may be used as functional markers, including plasminogen activators and their inhibitors (PAI). PAI-1 is a common peptide with a central role in the balance of thrombosis and fibrinolysis in vivo, and its production by vascular endothelial cells has been demonstrated for many in vitro cell lines. The basal rate of PAI-1 release from cultured human adult endothelial cells was studied in both a well-plate-seeding model and after seeding onto human endarterectomy specimens. The effect of nonspecific stimulation with thrombin on PAI-1 release was examined in well-plate cultures. PAI-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cultured human saphenous endothelial cells release PAI-1 constitutively at a steady rate, which can be increased in the short term by the addition of thrombin. After seeding onto endarterectomy specimens, seeded endothelial cells release significant amounts of PAI-1, which suggests that they retain functional integrity and may potentially influence thrombosis in vivo after seeding.