Morphological and protein profile comparison of large vessel and microvascular endothelial cells in culture

Bovine adrenal medulla (AmMEC) and brain (BrMEC) microvessel endothelial cells, and bovine aortic (BAE) endothelial cells were isolated and cultured under identical conditions using a modification of a technique previously described for BrMEC. The cells were isolated and passaged under conditions minimizing cell surface alterations. Primary cultures were confluent in 4-6 days at a plating density in the region of 104 cells/cm2. BAEs maintained a cobblestone morphology and a denser monolayer than MECs in primary and passaged cells whether the cells were passaged using Pancreatin, Trypsin-EDTA, or Collagenase-EDTA. MECs were initially elongate and became more like BAEs with passaging. BAEs and AmMECs were examined for differences in whole cell, Triton extracted cytoskeleton and plasma membrane (PM) protein profiles by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Cells were labeled with 35S-methionine and PM by lactoperoxidase catalyzed iodination. Though for the most part protein patterns were similar, several proteins in the PM and cytoskeletal preparations differed. A significant difference in the isoelectric forms of proteins with the same molecular weight was observed in the PM