Production of immortal human endothelial cell lines by strontium phosphate transfection and electroporation of SV40 sequences.

Eleven human endothelial cell lines have been produced by introducing sequences from the DNA tumor virus SV40 into human umbilical vein endothelial cells either by strontium phosphate coprecipitation or electroporation. The resultant lines were confirmed as being endothelial in origin by their production of endothelial-specific von Willebrand factor. The growth characteristics of the different lines in normal and reduced levels of serum was determined, as was their cellular response to endothelial cell growth supplement in combination with heparin, basic fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, and epidermal growth factor.