E-selectin is required for the antiangiogenic activity of endostatin

Abstract
Endostatin, a 20-kDa fragment of collagen XVIII, is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor. E-selectin, an inducible leukocyte adhesion molecule specifically expressed by endothelial cells, has also been implicated in angiogenesis. By usingin vivo,ex vivo, andin vitroangiogenic assays, we investigated the functional relationship between endostatin and E-selectin. In corneal micropocket assays, recombinant endostatin administered i.p. by osmotic pump inhibited basic fibroblast growth factor-induced angiogenesis in WT, but not E-selectin-deficient, mice. Similarly, endostatin inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-stimulated endothelial sprout formation from aortic rings dissected from WT but not from E-selectin-deficient mice. To further explore this apparent requirement for E-selectin in endostatin action, we manipulated E-selectin expression in cultured human endothelial cells. When E-selectin was induced by IL-1β, or lipopolysaccharide, human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells each became markedly more sensitive to inhibition by endostatin in a vascular endothelial growth factor-induced cell migration assay. To dissociate E-selectin expression from other consequences of endothelial activation, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were transduced with an adenoviral human E-selectin expression construct; these cells also showed increased sensitivity to endostatin, and this effect required the E-selectin cytoplasmic domain. Taken together, these results indicate that E-selectin is required for the antiangiogenic activity of endostatinin vivoandex vivoand confers endostatin sensitivity to nonresponsive human endothelial cellsin vitro. E-selectin may be a useful predictor and modulator of endostatin efficacy in antiangiogenic therapy.