Summary
Hyperglycaemia, in insulin-dependent or independent diabetes mellitus, promotes endothelial
cell (EC) dysfunction and is a major factor in the development of macro- or microvascular
diseases. The mechanisms and the disease-related genes in vascular diseases resulting
from hyperglycaemia are poorly understood. Macroarrays, bearing a total of 588 cDNA
known genes, were used to analyze HUVEC gene transcription subjected to 25 or 5-mM
glucose for 24 h. Isolated mRNA derived from treated first passage HUVEC were reverse
transcribed, 32P labeled, and hybridized to the cDNA macroarrays. Results show that
acute hyperglycaemia induces an up-regulation of seven major genes, four of which
were not previously reported in the literature. Northern blot analyses, performed
on these 4 genes, confirm macroarrays results for αv, β4, c-myc, and MUC18. Moreover, time course analysis (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 h) of αv, β4, c-myc, and MUC18 mRNA expression, observed by northern blot assays, showed a peak
at time points situated between 2 to 8 h. The 3 other genes (ICAM-1, β1, and IL-8), were shown by others to be significantly upregulated after glucose stimulation.
Furthermore, ELISA assays performed on the supernatant of HUVEC culture medium showed
a significant increase of IL-8 for cells treated with 25-mM compared to 5-mM glucose.
Identified genes, upregulated in endothelial cells as a result of acute hyperglycaemia,
may serve as therapeutic or diagnostic targets in vascular lesions present in diabetic
patients. These results also demonstrate the use of cDNA macroarrays as an effective
approach in identifying genes implicated in a diseased cell.
Keywords
HUVEC - glucose - transcription - macroarray