Summary
The objective of this study was to characterize the role of fibrinogen in stimulating
expression of inflammatory chemokines in endothelial cells through NF-κB activation.
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to fibrinogen up to 3,000
µg/ml, and NF-κB activation was assessed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay
(EMSA). Fibrinogen exposure resulted in a concentration dependent increase in NF-κB
activation that reached a maximum at 1,000 µg/ml after 4 hours and was sustained up
to 24 hours. The effect was inhibited by antibodies to αvβ3 and α5β1 and by the GRGDS peptide, indicating integrin involvement. Preincubation with Mn2+ lowered the fibrinogen concentration-dependence, consistent with integrin activation.
Supershift assays demonstrated involvement of the p50, p65 and c-Rel components of
NF-κB. Fibrinogen exposure also resulted in up-regulation of expression of monocyte
chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and of interleukin-8 as shown by RNase protection
assays and by real-time RT-PCR. Increased secretion of MCP-1 was confirmed by ELISA.
Parthenolide, an IκB kinase inhibitor, prevented up-regulation of MCP-1 by fibrinogen,
linking this response to NF-κB activation. From our findings, we conclude that fibrinogen
regulates NF-κB activation and expression of inflammatory chemokines in endothelial
cells and may be involved in mediating inflammatory processes.
Keywords
Fibrinogen - NF-κB - chemokines - endothelial cells