Retroviral transformation of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells: macrophage-like and microvascular endothelial cell properties.

We report that L-cell-conditioned medium (LCM) transforms porcine cerebral microvascular (PCMV) endothelial cells into cells with macrophage-like properties. LCM is known to contain both cytokine(s) and the L-cell virus, a murine retrovirus found in the L929 cell and LCM. Our evidence suggests that both LCM cytokine(s) and the L-cell virus are involved in this PCMV endothelial cell transformation. Criteria for transformation include focus formation, decreased serum requirements for growth, changes in morphology including nonadherence, propagation in suspension culture, and a decreased growth response to stimulation with a known endothelial cell mitogen. Macrophage-like characteristics of this transformed cell, designated as RVTE, include pinocytosis of low-density lipoprotein, Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis, phagocytosis of bacteria and zymosan, the expression of macrophage enzyme markers, and constitutive production of colony-stimulating factor 1. However, the transformed cell retains several properties of the nontransformed cell including the expression of FVIII:RAg and in vitro self-organization into capillary-like structures. Cloning of RVTE cells clearly shows that both macrophage-like and cerebral microvascular endothelial cell properties are present in the same cell. During self-organization, nontransformed cells express morphologic and functional characteristics classically associated with the macrophage. These findings suggest that some brain capillary pathophysiologies could involve macrophage-like cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, the "reticuloendothelial" phenotypic repertoire expressed by this transformed cerebral microvascular endothelial cell may show that the cerebral capillary endothelial cell in vivo is derived from a hematopoietic and/or phagocytic precursor.