Influence of Race and High Laminar Shear Stress on TNFR1 Signaling in Endothelial Cells

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding to endothelial TNF receptor-I (TNFR-I) facilitates monocyte recruitment and chronic inflammation, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. In vitro data show a heightened inflammatory response and atherogenic potential in endothelial cells (ECs) from African American (AA) donors. High laminar shear stress (HSS) can mitigate some aspects of racial differences in endothelial function at the cellular level. We examined possible racial differences in TNF-induced monocyte adhesion and TNFR1 signaling complex expression/activity, along with the effects of HSS. Tohoku Hospital Pediatrics-1 (THP-1) monocytes were used in a co-culture system with human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) from Caucasian American (CA) and AA donors to examine racial differences in monocyte adhesion. An in vitro exercise mimetic model was applied to investigate the potential modulatory effect of HSS. THP-1 adherence to ECs and TNF-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) DNA binding were elevated in AA ECs compared to CA ECs, but not significantly. We report no significant racial differences in the expression of the TNFR-I signaling complex. Application of HSS significantly increased the expression and shedding of TNFR-I and the expression of TRAF3, and decreased the expression of TRAF5 in both groups. Our data does not support TNF-induced NF-κB activation as a potential mediator of racial disparity in this model. Other pathways and associated factors activated by the TNFR1 signaling complex are recommended targets for future research.