Open AccessIn vitro Self-Assembly of Human Pericyte-Supported Endothelial Microvessels in Three-Dimensional Coculture: A Simple Model for Interrogating Endothelial-Pericyte Interactions
Author(s) -
John P Waters,
Martin S. Kluger,
Morven Graham,
William Chang,
John R. Bradley,
Jordan S. Pober
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of vascular research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.58
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1423-0135
pISSN - 1018-1172
DOI - 10.1159/000353303
Subject(s) - pericyte , umbilical vein , microbiology and biotechnology , fibronectin , endothelial stem cell , in vitro , chemistry , vacuolization , extracellular matrix , biophysics , anatomy , biology , pathology , biochemistry , medicine
We describe a method for coculture of macro- or microvascular human endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes (PCs) within a 3-dimensional (3-D) protein matrix resulting in lumenized EC cords invested by PCs. To prevent apoptotic cell death of ECs in 3-D culture, human umbilical vein or dermal microvascular ECs were transduced to express the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. To prevent PC-mediated gel contraction, the collagen-fibronectin gel was polymerized within a polyglycolic acid nonwoven matrix. Over the first 24-48 h, EC-only gels spontaneously formed cords that developed lumens via vacuolization; such vascular networks were maintained for up to 7 days. In EC-PC cocultures, PCs were recruited to the EC networks. PC investment of EC cords both limited the lumen diameter and increased the degree of vascular network arborization. Peg and socket junctions formed between ECs and PCs in this system, but dye transfer, indicative of gap junction formation, was not observed. This simple system can be used to analyze bidirectional signals between ECs and PCs in a 3-D geometry.