Objective: Inflammatory infiltrates and atherosclerotic lesions emerge when monocytes adhere to endothelial cells (ECs), migrate into the subendothelial space, and become macrophages (MPhi(s)). Leukotrienes (LTs), products of 5-lipoxygenase, are powerful inflammatory mediators. 5-lipoxygenase+ MPhi(s) have been shown to increase during atherogenesis, and LT receptor (LT-R) transcripts were identified in diseased arteries. To investigate LT-Rs in cells involved in inflammation and atherogenesis, we used the in vitro models of human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) and monocyte-derived MPhi(s).
Methods and results: HUVECs primarily expressed transcripts of the cysteinyl (cys) LT2-R, which was strongly upregulated by interleukin-4. By contrast, MPhi(s) predominantly expressed transcripts of the cysLT1-R. Calcium responses toward LTs revealed differential cysLT-R utilization by both cell types: HUVECs responded to both cysLTs, whereas MPhi(s) preferentially responded to LTD4; HUVECs, but not MPhi(s), were resistant toward a cysLT1-R antagonist, montelukast; cysLTs generated regular calcium oscillations in HUVECs that lasted >60 minutes, resulting in >500 oscillations per cell. By contrast, calcium elevations in MPhi(s) returned to baseline within seconds and were nonoscillatory.
Conclusions: Our data raise the possibility that MPhi-derived LTs differentially activate cysLT2-Rs via paracrine stimulation and cysLT1-Rs via autocrine and paracrine stimulation during inflammation and atherogenesis.