Characteristics of arachidonic acid metabolism of human endothelial cells in culture.

Human umbilical endothelial cells in culture retain differentiated morphological and functional characterization in primary culture and even in the early subcultures, after which they begin to degenerate. We have studied the morphological and biochemical characterization (ability to produce prostacyclin, prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2 in culture) of endothelial cells in the first seven subcultures. In addition the influence of serum and endothelial cell growth factor added to the culture medium have been evaluated. With 20% normal human serum, cell proliferation is faster than with the same concentration of human fetal or bovine fetal serum. After the 3rd passage, morphological and growth alterations become observable in the endothelial cells. However, prostacyclin, prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2 production showed no variations during the study.