Histamine alters endothelial barrier function at cell-cell and cell-matrix sites

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2000-05, Vol.278 (5), p.888-L898
• Main Authors: Moy, Alan B, Winter, Michael, Kamath, Anant, Blackwell, Ken, Reyes, Gina, Giaever, Ivar, Keese, Charles, Shasby, D. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadherins - analysis; Cadherins - genetics; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cell Communication - drug effects; Cell Communication - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Electric Impedance; Epithelial Cells - chemistry; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - ultrastructure; Extracellular Matrix - drug effects; Extracellular Matrix - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation - physiology; Histamine - pharmacology; Humans; Intercellular Junctions - chemistry; Intercellular Junctions - drug effects; Intercellular Junctions - ultrastructure; Microelectrodes; Microscopy, Electron; Models, Biological; Promoter Regions, Genetic - physiology; Transfection; Umbilical Veins - cytology
• ISSN: 1040-0605; 1522-1504
• DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.2000.278.5.l888

Departments of 1  Internal Medicine and 2  Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242; and 3  Department of Biology and Physics, School of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 To determine how histamine regulates endothelial barrier function through an integrative cytoskeletal network, we mathematically modeled the resistance across an endothelial cell-covered electrode as a function of cell-cell, cell-matrix, and transcellular resistances. Based on this approach, histamine initiated a rapid decrease in transendothelial resistance predominantly through decreases in cell-cell resistance in confluent cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Restoration of resistance was characterized by initially increasing cell-matrix resistance, with later increases in cell-cell resistance. Thus histamine disrupts barrier function by specifically disrupting cell-cell adhesion and restores barrier function in part through direct effects on cell-matrix adhesion. To validate the precision of our technique, histamine increased the resistance in subconfluent HUVECs in which there was no cell-cell contact. Exposure of confluent monolayers to an antibody against cadherin-5 caused a predominant decrease in cell-cell resistance, whereas the resistance was unaffected by the antibody to cadherin-5 in subconfluent cells. Furthermore, we observed an increase predominantly in cell-cell resistance in ECV304 cells that were transfected with a plasmid containing a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter controlling expression of E-cadherin. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed tens of nanometer displacements between adjacent cells at a time point in which histamine maximally decreased cell-cell resistance. electrical resistance; cadherin; electron microscopy; modeling; transfection