ADHESION MOLECULE EXPRESSION IN VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS INCUBATED WITH CANCER CELL-LINE SUPERNATANT ARE INHIBITED BY NEUTROPHIL ELASTASEINHIBITOR (ONO-5046-CENTER-DOT-NA)

We investigated the role of a neutrophil elastase (NE) produced by can cer cell lines on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressio n in endothelial cells using two human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, EBC-1 and PC-3. It is known that immune-reactive NE is produce d by EBC-1 cells, but not PC-3. In control study, Northern blot analys is revealed that in vitro ICAM-1 mRNA transcripts in the rat endotheli al cell line (WK-5) was increased in the presence of purified NE while a specific neutrophil elastase inhibitor (ONO-5046 . Na) inhibited IC AM-1 expression. Similarly, ICAM-1 mRNA levels in WK-5 cells were incr eased by the culture supernatant obtained from EBC-1, but not from PC- 3. In addition,, ONO-5046 . Na inhibited the increase in ICAM-1 mRNA l evels stimulated by immunoreactive HE from EBC-1. These results sugges t that EBC-1 cells produce immunoreactive NE which has biological func tion of NE to stimulate ICAM-1 expression in the endothelial cells.