RESUMO
To study the roles played by cardiac valvular endothelium in normal and pathologic conditions, we have established and characterized a system of bovine valvular endothelial cells (VEC) in culture. Viable VEC from calf atrioventricular valves were obtained by a non-enzymatic procedure using 3 mM ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as dissociating agent. The cells grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with non-essential amino acids, vitamins and 20% fetal calf serum, developed as monolayers of closely apposed polygonal cells which were subcultured for up to seven passages. VEC maintained in culture the general ultrastructure displayed in vivo, expressed von Willebrand factor, presented angiotensin converting enzyme activity and synthesized a rich extracellular matrix. VEC preserved the cell surface anionic sites (detected with cationized ferritin, pI 8.4) and cationic sites (visualized with haemeundecapeptide pI 4.85), and took up, especially by adsorptive endocytosis, albumin-gold conjugate. The cells were coupled by functional communicating (gap) junctions, as demonstrated by microinjection of 6-carboxyfluorescein. VEC in culture produced fibronectin, prostacyclin, hyaluronic acid and heparin-like glycosaminoglycans (identified by electrophoresis, enzyme digestion, and deaminative cleavage of molecules). These properties render cultured VEC a suitable model for investigating their functions and involvement in normal and pathologic heart valves.