Russian State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; *Institute for Postgraduate Training of Physicians, Novokuznetsk, Russia
Russ. J. Immunol. 2000, April 15, 5 (1), 27-32.
This study examines effects of alpha2-macroglobulin (a2M) on adhesion of fibroblasts. Native a2M and transformed form of a2M, a2M-plasmin, were bound to plastic. Adhesion of mouse L929 and human embryo M-19 fibroblasts to immobilized a2M was estimated under various conditions by counting adherent cells using videomicroscopy and computer-assisted image analysis. a2M-plasmin, bound to plastic, induced adhesion and spreading of mouse L929 and human M-19 fibroblasts. Neither native a2M nor plasmin alone did not induce fibroblast adhesion. The adhesion to a2M-plasmin was undetectable at 4 grad C, as well as when sodium azide was added or divalent ions were removed. These findings provide novel information on a2M functions. On the basis of these observations we hypothesized that a2M, immobilized in the extracellular matrix, can participate in the regulation of microenvironment effects on the cells, and, in particular, influence on fibroblast adhesion.