Effects of Cytokines on Cultured Microvascular Endothelial Cells Derived from Gerbil Brain

Microvascular endothelial cells were isolated from gerbil brain and cultured. Two weeks after plating, the addition of tumor necrosis factor at a concentration of 1000 U/ml or more suppressed the DNA synthesis activity of endothelial cells by about 70% and induced morphological changes in the cells, which developed a spindle-like form and showed overlapping of cells, indicating loss of contact inhibition. When a similar experiment was performed using culture supernatants of human glioma cells that had been cultured for a few days, DNA synthesis activity was suppressed by approximately 50% or more in 6 of 12 samples