BIOSYNTHESIS OF IL-8 AND ENDOTHELIN-1,2 BY IMMORTAL SIMIAN-VIRUS-40 TSA-TRANSFORMED HUMAN ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

Immortal human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVEC-SV40) esta blished in our laboratory by gene transfection of plasmid pSVts58neo w ere analyzed for their biological activities. The growth and cellular viability of these immortal cells were temperature dependent. Typical bioactive products of endothelial cells, IL-8 and endothelins, were re leased into the culture medium as in the case of mortal cells. The pro duction of IL-8 was temperature dependent and significantly increased in cells incubated at 37 degrees C as compared with those incubated at 33 degrees C. Such a temperature dependence was not observed in endot helin production. Stimulation of cells with both TNF-alpha and IFN-gam ma increased the biosynthesis of IL-8 or endothelins significantly (p< 0.05). From these results, it became clear that immortal HUVEC-SV40 ce lls also secrete IL-8 or endothelins in the same manner as mortal cell s, and that they react to the stimulation by cytokines to promote IL-8 or endothelin production.