Effect of Lipoxin A(4) on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Endothelial Hyperpermeability

Excessive oxidative stress, decreased antioxidant capacity, and enhanced cellular calcium levels are initial factors that cause endothelial cell (EC) hyperpermeability, which represents a crucial event in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Lipoxin A4 (LXA(4)) strongly attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hyperpermeability through maintaining the normal expression of VE-cadherin and β-catenin. This effect was mainly mediated by a specific LXA(4) receptor. LXA(4) could also obviously inhibit LPS-induced elevation of the cellular calcium level and up-regulation of the transient receptor potential protein family C 1, an important calcium channel in ECs. At the same time, LXA(4) strongly blocked LPS-triggered reactive oxidative species production, while it promoted the expression of the NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein. Our findings demonstrate that LXA(4) could prevent the EC hyperpermeability induced by LPS in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), under which the possible mechanism is through Nrf2 as well as Ca(2+)-sensitive pathways.