Involvement of the expression of integrins in cadmium-induced cytotoxicity in vascular endothelial cells.

Abstract

Vascular endothelial cells cover the luminal surface of blood vessels and the dysfunction is crucially associated with cardiovascular diseases, which are progressed by cadmium exposure. Morphologically, in vascular endothelial cell layer exposed to cadmium, increases of the area of de-endothelialization occured. Integrins (ITGs) are heterodimer of α and β subunits, transmembrane, and cellular adhesion molecule to basement membrane. In the present study, we investigated the influence on ITGs of cadmium-induced cytotoxicity and the expression by cadmium. The study revealed that: (1) ITGA1, ITGA2, ITGA3, ITGA5, ITGA6, ITGAV, ITGB1, ITGB3, ITGB4, and ITGB5 was constitutionally expressed in vascular endothelial cells; (2) the knockdown of ITGB4 or ITGB5 exhibited the cytotoxicity of vascular endothelial cells, but those of the other subunits did not; (3) cadmium reduced the expression of not only ITGB4 and ITGB5 and but also the other subunits. These results suggested that ITGB4 and ITGB5 were suppressed by cadmium and the suppression was involved in cadmium-induced cytotoxicity in vascular endothelial cells.