Diabetic rbc induced oxidant stress leads to pecam-1 phosphorylation and transendothelial migration of monocytes. Rattan, Vinod, Yamin Shen, Chand Sultana, Dinesh Kumar, and Vijay K. Kalra. Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033
APStracts 4:0086E, 1997.
Erythrocytes from patients with diabetes mellitus exhibit an increased propensity to adhere to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as a result of interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with their counter receptors (RAGE), contributing to the pathogenesis of vascular complications. We determined whether the interaction of diabetic RBC with HUVEC induced cellular oxidant stress that would culminate in adherence and diapedesis of monocytes, these being initiating events in endothelial injury and atherogenesis. We show that the adherence of diabetic RBC (2% Hct), but not normal RBC, to HUVEC results in a 4-fold increase in the production of lipid peroxides. Furthermore diabetic RBC-induced oxidant stress causes a six-fold increase in PECAM-1 phosphorylation and doubles transendothelial migration of monocyte-like HL-60 cells; both are blocked by antioxidants and protein kinase C inhibitors. Our results show that the adherence of diabetic RBC to endothelial cells initiates a cascade of cellular events resulting in protein kinase C activation, causing PECAM-1 phosphorylation and concomitant transendothelial migration of monocytes. The increased diapedesis of monocytes, brought about by the interaction of diabetic RBC, across vascular endothelium may play an important role in accelerated atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in diabetics.

Received 21 August 1996; accepted in final form 7 April 1997.
APS Manuscript Number E413-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1997 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 13 May 1997