Efficient isolation and identification of primary endothelial cells from bovine aorta by collagenase P

Introduction: Endothelial cells are widely used among researchers for investigation of cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. Since aortic endothelial cells are able to be cultured in high passages, these cells are suitable for physiological and pathological studies of blood vessels. Objectives: The aim of this study was employing a digestion method to isolate the endothelial cells from bovine aorta by utilizing collagenase P and, establishing and characterizing isolated primary endothelial cells (IPECs) cultures. Materials and Methods: IPECs were isolated from fresh bovine aorta via enzymatic digestion method using collagenase P. Cell morphology and its functions were assessed by measuring the gene expression of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) and endothelin-1. In order to validate them as IPECs, they were compared with bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Effects of synthetic endothelin-1 (100 nm) were assessed on the phosphorylation of Smad2 transcription factor via western blotting in IPECs for periods of one to four hours. Results: In this study, the morphology of IPECs from bovine aorta was identical to that of the BAECs. The gene expressions of endothelin-1 and eNOS were higher than those of BAECs and VSMCs. In addition, synthetic endothelin-1 resulted in the time-dependent boost of phosphorylation of carboxy-terminal Smad2 in the IPECs for periods of two and four hours. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm the efficacy of the enzymatic digestion method in isolating a large number of endothelial cells with morphological and functional characteristics.