A venous-specific purinergic signaling cascade initiated by Pannexin 1 regulates TNFα-induced increases in endothelial permeability.

The endothelial cell barrier regulates the passage of fluid between the bloodstream and underlying tissues, and barrier function impairment exacerbates the severity of inflammatory insults. To understand how inflammation alters vessel permeability, we studied the effects of the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα on transendothelial permeability and electrophysiology in ex vivo murine veins and arteries. We found that TNFα specifically decreased the barrier function of venous endothelium without affecting that of arterial endothelium. On the basis of RNA expression profiling and protein analysis, we found that claudin-11 (CLDN11) was the predominant claudin in venous endothelial cells and that there was little, if any, CLDN11 in arterial endothelial cells. Consistent with a difference in claudin composition, TNFα increased the permselectivity of Cl- over Na+ in venous but not arterial endothelium. The vein-specific effects of TNFα also required the activation of Pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels and the CD39-mediated hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine, which subsequently stimulated A2A adenosine receptors. Moreover, the increase in vein permeability required the activation of the Ca2+ channel TRPV4 downstream of Panx1 activation. Panx1-deficient mice resisted the pathologic effects of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture on life span and lung vascular permeability. These data provide a targetable pathway with the potential to promote vein barrier function and prevent the deleterious effects of vascular leak in response to inflammation.

Endothelial cell Pannexin1 modulates severity of ischemic stroke by regulating cerebral inflammation and myogenic tone.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US; however, there currently exists only one effective acute pharmacological therapeutic intervention. Purinergic signaling has been shown to regulate vascular function and pathological processes, including inflammation and arterial myogenic reactivity, and plays a role in ischemic stroke outcome. Purinergic signaling requires extracellular purines; however, the mechanism of purine release from cells is unclear. Pannexin1 (Panx1) channels are potentially novel purine release channels expressed throughout the vascular tree that couples regulated purine release with purinergic signaling. Therefore, we examined the role of smooth muscle and endothelial cell Panx1, using conditional cell type-specific transgenic mice, in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury outcomes. Deletion of endothelial cell Panx1, but not smooth muscle cell Panx1, significantly reduced cerebral infarct volume after ischemia/reperfusion. Infiltration of leukocytes into brain tissue and development of cerebral myogenic tone were both significantly reduced when mice lacked endothelial Panx1. Panx1 regulation of myogenic tone was unique to the cerebral circulation, as mesenteric myogenic reactivity and blood pressure were independent of endothelial Panx1. Overall, deletion of endothelial Panx1 mitigated cerebral ischemic injury by reducing inflammation and myogenic tone development, indicating that endothelial Panx1 is a possible novel target for therapeutic intervention of ischemic stroke.