Proliferative response of human endothelial cultures to various types and treatments of human sera, to culture treatments and to various oxygen concentrations.

ABSTRACT

Endothelial cells from the human umbilical vein were exposed to different human sera, differently treated serum, to various oxygen concentrations, and various culture treatments. Endothelial proliferation was determined by measuring the uptake of [3H]-thymidine by means of autoradiography and presented as thymidine labeling index (TI) values. TI values differed according to different serum concentrations, serum types, serum preparations (WBS-PDS) and serum pretreatments. Low oxygen concentrations in the incubator atmosphere induced an early DNA synthesis response without an increase in cell number. The addition of the protease inhibitors aprotinin and soybean trypsin inhibitor to the culture medium resulted in a dose dependent TI decrease, whereas PMSF showed no influence.