Endothelial cells stimulate proliferation of human thyroid epithelial cells

Abstract

Abstract. The present study was undertaken to investigate cellular interactions between human thyroid epithelial cells (thyrocytes) and endothelial cells. Normal thyrocytes were cultured with either mitomycin C-treated endothelial cells or mitomycin C-treated human foreskin fibroblasts. The proliferative responses of thyrocytes were markedly stimulated by endothelial cells, but not by skin fibroblasts. The proliferative response of the thyrocytes obtained from patients with Graves' disease were similar to that of normal thyrocytes. Furthermore, the cell number of thyrocytes in endothelial cell-thyrocyte co-culture was markedly increased as compared with that in thyrocytes alone. The culture medium of endothelial cells only partly had any effect in the endothelial cell-thyrocyte co-culture experiment. Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not increase the endothelial cells-induced thyrocyte proliferation. Furthermore, the increased proliferative response of thyrocytes stimulated by endothelial cells was not suppressed by heparin. These results suggest that endothelial cells increase thyrocyte proliferation, and that cell contact or extracellular matrix production by endothelial cells may play an important role in the proliferation of thyrocytes.

Hypothyroidism and anti‐endothelial cell antibodies

“…With the exception of patients with Kawasaki's disease, the haemolytic uraemic syndrome, and occasional patients with Wegener's disease, PAN and PSS (2,8,10,15), it has been difficult to demonstrate in vitro that AECA directly damage endothelial cells by complement-mediated lysis or by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The possibility that AECA might modulate function(s) of their target molecule(s) on the surface of the endothelial cells has received less attention.…”

Stimulation of mitogenesis in human thyroid epithelial cells by endothelin

“…The neovascularization is shown to depend on the local proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (ECs). Recently we reported that human umbilical vein ECs stimulated the proliferation of human thyroid epithelial cells (2). Recently we reported that human umbilical vein ECs stimulated the proliferation of human thyroid epithelial cells (2).…”

Establishment and Characterization of a Malignant Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma from Mouse Tnyroid Tumor.

“…The proliferative responses of human thyrocytes have been reported to be markedly stimulated by contact with endothelial cells [35]. In our preliminary study, the cell growth of primary cultured thyroid follicular cells was also enhanced by co-culture with mEHE/CH5 cells (unpublished data).…”