Summary
The decrease of endothelial barrier function is central to the long-term inflammatory
response. A pathological alteration of the ability of endothelial cells to modulate
the passage of cells and solutes across the vessel underlies the development of inflammatory
diseases such as atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis. The inflammatory cytokine
tumour necrosis factor (TNF) mediates changes in the barrier properties of the endothelium.
TNF activates different Rho GTPases, increases filamentous actin and remodels endothelial
cell morphology. However, inhibition of actin-mediated remodelling is insufficient
to prevent endothelial barrier disruption in response to TNF, suggesting that additional
molecular mechanisms are involved. Here we discuss, first, the pivotal role of Rac-mediated
generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to regulate the integrity of endothelial
cell-cell junctions and, second, the ability of endothelial adhesion receptors such
as ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and PECAM-1, involved in leukocyte transendothelial migration, to
control endothelial permeability to small molecules, often through ROS generation.
These adhesion receptors regulate endothelial barrier function in ways both dependent
on and independent of their engagement by immune cells, and orchestrate the crosstalk
between leukocyte transendothelial migration and endothelial permeability during inflammation.
Keywords
Endothelial barrier function - permeability - adhesion - transendothelial migration
- Rho - Rac - Cdc42 - ROCK - reactive oxygen species - Src - Fyn - actin - VE-cadherin
- ICAM-1 - VCAM-1 - JAM - PECAM-1 - SHP phosphatases - metalloproteases