The monolayer of vascular endothelial cells, which is rich in heparan sulfate chains, is an important target of cadmium cytotoxicity. To investigate the effects of heparan sulfate chains on cadmium cytotoxicity, bovine aortic endothelial cells were cultured in the presence of cadmium, with or without exogenous heparan sulfate. The following results were obtained: (1) Heparan sulfate chains potentiated cadmium cytotoxicity. (2) Such a potentiation did not occur in bovine aortic smooth muscle cells. (3) Heparin chains as well as heparan sulfate chains potentiated cadmium cytotoxicity, while other glycosaminoglycan chains failed to exhibit such an activity. (4) The disaccharide units of heparan sulfate chains did not potentiate cadmium cytotoxicity in the endothelial cells. (5) Heparan sulfate chains did not potentiate mercury and arsenite cytotoxicity. (6) Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) also potentiated cadmium cytotoxicity in the endothelial cells. (7) Heparan sulfate chains significantly increased intracellular cadmium accumulation by inducing the expression of metallothionein. Taken together, these results suggest that heparan sulfate chains activate FGF-2, which in turn elevates the expression and/or activity of metal transporter(s) that facilitate cadmium influx from the extracellular space into the cytoplasm.
Keywords: Cadmium; Cytotoxicity; Endothelial cell; Heparan sulfate.