Genetic induction of a releasable pool of factor VIII in human endothelial cells

JB Rosenberg, JS Greengard… - … , and vascular biology, 2000 - Am Heart Assoc
JB Rosenberg, JS Greengard, RR Montgomery
Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 2000Am Heart Assoc
Although it is known that factor VIII (FVIII) plasma levels increase rapidly in response to a
number of stimuli, the biological stimuli behind this release is less clear. Previously, we
showed that FVIII can traffic together with von Willebrand factor (vWF) into storage granules
in a pituitary tumor cell line, AtT-20; however, AtT-20 cells could not be used to address the
release or functional activity of released FVIII. To investigate the regulated secretion of
stored FVIII, endothelial cells with intact agonist-stimulated release pathways were used …
Abstract
—Although it is known that factor VIII (FVIII) plasma levels increase rapidly in response to a number of stimuli, the biological stimuli behind this release is less clear. Previously, we showed that FVIII can traffic together with von Willebrand factor (vWF) into storage granules in a pituitary tumor cell line, AtT-20; however, AtT-20 cells could not be used to address the release or functional activity of released FVIII. To investigate the regulated secretion of stored FVIII, endothelial cells with intact agonist-stimulated release pathways were used. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transduced with retroviral FVIII construct [hFVIII(V)] to create a FVIII/vWF storage pool. Immunofluorescent staining of transduced cells demonstrated FVIII in Weibel-Palade bodies. In contrast, the transduction of hFVIII(V) into HT-1080 and HepG2 cells displayed FVIII only in the cytoplasm. We studied the regulated release of both FVIII and vWF from endothelial cells after agonist-induced stimulation and demonstrated a parallel release of FVIII and vWF proteins. This released FVIII was functionally active. Hence, endothelial cells transduced with hFVIII(V) store FVIII together with vWF in Weibel-Palade bodies , creating a releasable storage pool of both proteins. Because FVIII secretion can be physiologically regulated by agonists in culture, this may explain the pharmacological agonist-induced release of FVIII by drugs such as desmopressin in vivo and suggests vascular endothelium as a reasonable target of gene therapy of hemophilia A.
Am Heart Assoc