Injury models of the vascular endothelium: apoptosis and loss of thromboresistance induced by a viral protein.

Endothelial injury caused by viruses usually involves viral replication or transformation. We report a novel mechanism of endothelial damage by a toxic viral protein. We have isolated a new retrovirus from hemangiosarcomas which appeared among layer hens. The isolated avian hemangiosarcoma virus (AHV) is capable of inducing hemangiomas in hens in-vivo and causes a cytopathic effect (CPE) and loss of thromboresistance in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). These effects do not require viral replication and can be induced by purified AHV envelop glycoprotein (gp85). AHV causes CPE in BAEC through a typical programmed cell death (apoptosis). Quiescent G0/G1-BAEC are much more sensitive to AHV induced apoptosis than actively dividing cells. These experiments demonstrate the capacity of viral proteins to affect the integrity and functionality of vascular endothelial cells.

Unique sequences in the env gene of avian hemangioma retrovirus are responsible for cytotoxicity and endothelial cell perturbation.

An avian retrovirus isolated from spontaneous cavernous hemangiomas of layer hens codes for an env protein that induces a cytopathic effect on a wide variety of cultured avian and mammalian cells and also causes thrombogenicity of endothelial cells. Sequence analysis of the avian hemangioma inducing virus revealed unique elements in both its env gene and its LTR. We propose that these elements are responsible for the biological and pathogenic characteristics of the virus.

Multifocal vascular tumors in fowl induced by a newly isolated retrovirus.

The morphological features of a spontaneous, multifocal vascular neoplasm of chickens are described. Histologically, the tumor was characterized by areas consisting of freely anastomosing vascular channels with prominent papillary appearance and lined by bland-looking endothelial cells, which alternate with areas resembling cavernous hemangioma. Occasionally solid areas composed of plump, pleomorphic cells were also present. Although there was no clear evidence for metastatic spread, some tumors were obviously invasive. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry confirmed the endothelial nature of neoplastic cells, demonstrating in particular pinocytic vesicles, well developed junctional complexes, fragmented basal lamina, occasional Weibel-Palade bodies, and patchy factor VIII-related antigen immunoreactivity. The overall appearance of the tumor was that of a cavernous hemangioma with prominent papillary endothelial hyperplasia. Previously we have shown that the tumor was induced by a newly isolated strain of avian hemangioma retrovirus and in this study we demonstrated typical type C retrovirus particles in the tumor by electron microscopy. It is suggested that this retrovirus-induced avian tumor may serve as a useful model for the study of transformed endothelia and other vascular tumorigenesis.

Envelope glycoprotein of avian hemangioma retrovirus induces a thrombogenic surface on human and bovine endothelial cells.

Vascular endothelial cells are a target for blood-borne pathogens which may affect their integrity and thromboresistant properties. Here, we report that cultured bovine and human endothelial cells lose their thromboresistance following interaction with the avian hemangioma-inducing retrovirus. We show that the envelope (env) gene product, glycoprotein 85, is responsible for this effect, which appears soon after infection without viral replication or cell transformation. Induction of thrombogenicity is associated with a reduction in prostacyclin release and increased expression of tissue factor. These observations may explain the occurrence of thrombosis frequently observed in association with the hemangiosarcomas induced by avian hemangioma-inducing retrovirus. These unique endothelial cell-virus interactions may also be a model for the pathogenesis of various vascular diseases.

Cytocidal effect caused by the envelope glycoprotein of a newly isolated avian hemangioma-inducing retrovirus.

We isolated a field strain of avian hemangioma retrovirus (AHV) which induces a cytopathic effect (CPE) on cultured avian and mammalian cells shortly after infection. The kinetics of cell killing were dependent on the multiplicity of infection. The CPE on avian and mammalian cells was independent of virus replication, because UV-irradiated virus led to cell death as well. Biochemical and genetic experiments indicated that AHV env gene products were responsible for the CPE. Partially purified AHV envelope glycoproteins (gp85), but not those of the Rous sarcoma virus Prague C strain, induced a CPE. Rous-associated virus type 1, in which the env region was replaced by the AHV gp85 region, induced a CPE on avian and mammalian cultured cells. Therefore, we suggest that CPE is induced by AHV via interaction between viral gp85 and the cell membrane. This mode of CPE is unique among avian sarcoma-leukemia viruses.