Abstract
Microgravity is known to have adverse effects on the eukaryotic cells. Here we report that microgravity affects the behaviour of human micro- and macro-vascular endothelial cells. To simulate microgravity we have utilized a NASA-developed bioreactor, the Rotating Wall Vessel (RWV). Macrovascular cells proliferate faster in the RWV than controls and, accordingly, downregulate p21, which inhibits the transition from the G1 to the S phase. On the contrary, microvascular cells are growth retarded in simulated microgravity and upregulate p21. No apoptosis was detected in both the cell types. In parallel, upregulation of heat shock protein (hsp) 70 was observed in the two cell types. Because it is reported the hsp70 increases endothelial survival, we hypothesize that hsp70 induction might protect against apoptosis. Hsp70 upregulation might therefore represent an important adaptive response of human endothelial cells to simulated microgravity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aird, W.C.: Phenotypic heterogeneity of the endothelium: I. Structure, function, and mechanisms. Circ. Res. 100, 158 (2007)
Carlsson, S.I., Bertilaccio, M.T., Ballabio, E., Maier, J.A.M.: Endothelial stress by gravitational unloading: Effects on cell growth and cytoskeletal organization. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1642, 173 (2003)
Cotrupi, S., Ranzani, D., Maier, J.A.M.: Impact of modeled microgravity on microvascular endothelial cells. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1746, 163 (2005)
Harris, S.L., Levine, A.J.: The p53 pathway: Positive and negative feedback loops. Oncogene 24, 2899 (2005)
Lin, K., Hsu, P.P., Chen, B.P., Yuan, S., Usami, S., Shyy, J.Y., Li, Y.S., Chien, S.: Molecular mechanism of endothelial growth arrest by laminar shear stress. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97, 9385 (2000)
Morbidelli, L., Monici, M., Marziliano, N., Cogoli, A., Fusi, F., Waltenberger, J., Ziche, M.: Simulated hypogravity impairs the angiogenic response of endothelium by up-regulating apoptotic signals. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 334, 491 (2005)
Sanford, G.L., Ellerson, D., Melhado-Gardner, C., Sroufe, A.E., Harris-Houke, S.: Three-dimensional growth of endothelia cells in the microgravity-based rotating wall vessel bioreactor. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 38, 493 (2002)
Spisni, E., Bianco, M.C., Grifoni, C., Toni, M., D’Angelo, R., Santi, S., Riccio, M., Tomasi, V.: Mechanosensing role of caveolae and caveolar constituents in human endothelial cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 197, 198 (2003)
Tiberio, L., Maier, J.A.M., Schiaffonati, L.: Down-modulation of c-myc expression by phorbol ester protects CEM T leukaemia cells from starvation-induced apoptosis: Role of ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines. Cell Death Differ. 8, 967 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mariotti, M., Maier, J.A.M. Human Micro- and Macrovascular Endothelial Cells Exposed to Simulated Microgravity Upregulate hsp70. Microgravity Sci. Technol 21, 141–144 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-008-9066-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-008-9066-8