Establishment and long-term culture of human cystic fibrosis endothelial cells

Lab Invest. 2017 Nov;97(11):1375-1384. doi: 10.1038/labinvest.2017.74. Epub 2017 Jul 31.

Abstract

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction has been reported in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Thus, the availability of CF EC is paramount to uncover mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction in CF. Using collagenase digestion, we isolated cells from small fragments of pulmonary artery dissected from non-CF lobes or explanted CF lungs. These cells were a heterogeneous mixture, containing variable percentages of EC. To obtain virtually pure pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC), we developed an easy, inexpensive, and reliable method, based on the differential adhesion time of pulmonary artery cells collected after collagenase digestion. With this method, we obtained up to 95% pure non-CF and CF-PAEC. Moreover, we also succeed at immortalizing both PAEC and CF-PAEC, which remained viable and with unchanged phenotype and proliferation rate over the 30th passage. These cells recapitulated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator expression and functions of the parental cells. Thus, we isolated for the first time endothelial cells from CF patients, providing a valuable tool to define the emerging role of EC in CF lung and vascular disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Separation
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Collagenases / metabolism
  • Cystic Fibrosis / genetics
  • Cystic Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Cystic Fibrosis / pathology*
  • Cystic Fibrosis / surgery
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / genetics
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / metabolism
  • Electric Impedance
  • Endothelium, Vascular / metabolism
  • Endothelium, Vascular / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Lung / blood supply
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Lung / pathology*
  • Lung / surgery
  • Mutation
  • Pneumonectomy
  • Pulmonary Artery / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology*
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • CFTR protein, human
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
  • Collagenases