RESUMO
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictive peptide which plays an important role in regulating mammalian cardiovascular development and homeostasis. Originally identified as a factor released by vascular endothelial cells, ET-1 is now recognized as a product of numerous cells and tissues with demonstrated involvement in an array of physiological and pathological processes. An area of great interest is the production of ET-1 by mononuclear cells (monocytes and macrophages) and its role in inflammation. We report that the canine macrophage cell line, DH82, constitutively secretes both ET-1 and its biologically inactive precursor big ET-1. The production of both peptides was increased following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) from gram-negative bacteria. ET-1 production was also increased in response to stimulation with intact and viable gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In addition to producing ET-1, DH82 cells express transcripts encoding two receptors for the ET-1 peptide (ET(A) and ET(B) receptors) and an enzyme involved in the conversion of big ET-1 to ET-1. The constitutive secretion of ET-1 and the expression of ET(A) and ET(B) receptors may be related to the malignant origin of this cell line. Our results are the first report of ET-1 production by a canine cell line and provide the basis for further investigation into the role of ET-1 during infection and inflammation.