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Thromb Haemost 1992; 68(06): 744-751
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1646354
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Vitamin E Binds to Specific Binding Sites and Enhances Prostacyclin Production by Cultured Aortic Endothelial Cells

Authors

  • Makoto Kunisaki

    The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan

  • Fumio Umeda

    The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan

  • Toyoshi Inoguchi

    The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan

  • Hajime Nawata

    The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

Received 26 June 1991

Accepted after revision 22 July 1992

Publication Date:
04 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

We evaluated the effect of d-α-tocopherol (vitamin E) on the production of prostacyclin (PGI2) by cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. Vitamin E at physiological doses significantly enhanced the production of PGI2 by aortic endothelial cells when added to the culture simultaneously with histamine, the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (A23187), plasma-derived serum (PDS), or arachidonic acid. This effect was found to occur in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and the maximal enhancement was produced by 9.28 µM of vitamin E for 1 h incubations. Significantly lower amounts of lipid peroxides were measured in endothelial cells stimulated by 10% PDS with 9.28 µM of vitamin E than in those stimulated without vitamin E for over 24 h, although the stimulation during the initial 1 to 12 h period did not have a significant effect on lipid peroxide formation in cultured aortic endothelial cells.

We also demonstrated that bovine aortic endothelial cells have specific binding sites for [3H]vitamin E that exhibited time- and temperature-dependent saturability. At 4° C, the nonspecific binding was 8–12% of the total binding, and the specific binding reached equilibrium by 2 h. Specific binding increased with the concentration of [3H]vitamin E and became saturated at concentrations between 1.5 µM and 2.0 µM per 2.0 × 105 cells. Raising the unlabeled vitamin E concentration from 97.7 nM to 1,000 µM reduced the specific binding of 2.0 µM [3H]vitamin E. The Scatchard plot of [3H]vitamin E binding to the endothelial cells shows two classes of binding sites: one with a high affinity {K a1 2.48 ± 0.32 × 107 NT-1, n = 6} and a low capacity {n 1 1.20 ± 0.34 × 107 sites/cell} and the other with a low affinity {K a2 1.18 ± 0.32 × 105 M–1} and a high capacity {n 2 3.39 ± 0.53 × 109 sites/cell}.

Our results suggest that the endothelial cells binding sites for vitamin E may play some roles in vascular homeostasis in vivo, and that vitamin E may prevent the development of atherosclerotic changes due in part to the enhancement of PGI2 production by the vascular wall and its action as an antioxidant in vascular endothelial cell.