Cultured Human Umbilical Vascular Endothelial Cells and Their Underlying Matrix as Models to Study Cell Adhesion

Abstract

Vascular endothelium is the blood compatible container that covers blood vessels. The endothelial cell layer lining of the circulatory system, although structurally simple, is functionally complex and its integrity is essential for normal vascular function¹. Although tissue culture techniques for mammalian cells were established about two decades ago, the specific requirements of vascular endothelial cells hampered their routine culture until rather recently. Jaffe and coworkers were the first who succeeded in growing vascular endothelial cells in the laboratory². The source of cells were veins from human umbilical cords. The cells were isolated by incubation with the enzyme collagenase and cultured on glass or plastic surfaces in the presence of specific culture media supplemented with growth factors. More recently, other types of vessels have been used to obtain vascular endothelial cells, including bovine and swine aorta and human adult saphenous vein. Moreover, microcapillary endothelium has also been isolated and cultured. This represents an interesting advance that allows the study of the differences in the structure and properties of endothelial cells from large and small vessels.