Cytotoxic activity and cytokine gene induction of Asp-hemolysin to vascular endothelial cells

We examined the effects of Asp-hemolysin from Aspergillus fumigatus Freseni us-Muramatsu strain on the viability and cytokine gene expression of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The cell viability of HUVEC was r educed to 50% by 100 mug/ml of Asp-hemolysin. However, lower concentration of Asp-hemolysin (<30 <mu>g/ml) had no effect on the cell viability. The mR NA expression of such cytokines as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and granulocyte-macrophage colony stim ulating factor (GM-CSF) were also observed in HUVEC cultured with 30 mug/ml of Asp-hemolysin.