Activity of the human immortalized endothelial progenitor cell line HEPC-CB.1 supporting in vitro angiogenesis

• Published in: Molecular biology reports Vol. 47; no. 8; pp. 5911 - 5925
• Main Authors: Kantor, Aneta, Krawczenko, Agnieszka, Bielawska-Pohl, Aleksandra, Duś, Danuta, Grillon, Catherine, Kieda, Claudine, Charkiewicz, Karol, Paprocka, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2020; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Angiogenic Proteins - biosynthesis; Angiogenic Proteins - genetics; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Antigens; Antigens, CD - biosynthesis; Antigens, CD - genetics; Biochemistry; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cancer; CD90 antigen; Cell Behavior; Cell culture; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Division; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Line, Transformed - cytology; Cell Line, Transformed - drug effects; Cellular Biology; Clone Cells; Coculture Techniques; Colony-Forming Units Assay; Cooperation; Cyclic AMP - pharmacology; Cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Dermatology; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelial Progenitor Cells - cytology; Endothelial Progenitor Cells - drug effects; Fetal Blood - cytology; Histology; HLA Antigens - analysis; Human health and pathology; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; Hypoxia; Life Sciences; Morphology; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Original; Original Article; Oxygen - pharmacology; Oxygen tension; Progenitor cells; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Regenerative medicine; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Stem cells; Subcellular Processes; Tretinoin - pharmacology; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - pharmacology; Angiogenesis; Regeneration; EPC; EPC secretome; EPC function
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05662-6

The human HEPC-CB.1 cell line with many characteristics of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) was tested for its proangiogenic properties as a potentially therapeutic compound. HEPC-CB.1 cells’ potential to differentiate into endothelial cells was revealed after treating the cells with a mixture of ATRA, cAMP and VEGF, as shown by the reduced expression levels of CD133, CD271 and CD90 antigens, augmentation of CD146 and CD31, and a decrease in cell clonogenicity. The cooperation of HEPC-CB.1 with the endothelial cell line HSkMEC.2 resulted in the formation of a common network. Tube formation was significantly more effective when resulting from HEPC-CB.1 and HSkMEC.2 cell co-culture as compared to a monoculture of each cell line. The exocrine mechanism of HEPC-CB.1 and HSkMEC.2 cross talk by secreted factors was evidenced using the HEPC-CB.1 supernatant to increase the efficacy of HSkMEC.2 tube formation. The proangiogenic factors produced by HEPC-CB.1 were identified using cytokine antibody array. Out of 120 examined factors, the HEPC-CB.1 cell line produced 63, some with known angiogenic activity. As in vivo the angiogenic process occurs at low oxygen tension, it was observed that in hypoxia, the production of defined factors was augmented. The presented results demonstrate that HEPC-CB.1 cells are able to both cooperate and integrate in a newly formed network and produce factors that help the network formation. The results suggest that HEPC-CB.1 cells are indeed endothelial progenitors and may prove to be an effective tool in regenerative medicine.