Endothelial Rho and Rho kinase regulate neutrophil migration via endothelial myosin light chain phosphorylation.

The transendothelial migration of neutrophils is a critical step in acute inflammation, which we previously showed to be regulated by endothelial myosin light chain (MLC) kinase. Recent studies suggest that Rho and Rho kinase are also key mediators of MLC phosphorylation, but their roles in neutrophil migration have not been investigated. In the present study, a transwell chamber migration assay system incorporating endothelial monolayer was used to examine the numbers of migrating neutrophils, endothelial F-actin and myosin II rearrangement, and endothelial MLC phosphorylation at selected times during the neutrophil migration in vitro. The results showed that pretreating endothelial cells with C3 (Rho inhibitor) or Y-27632 (Rho kinase inhibitor) significantly diminished neutrophil migration, actin polymerization, myosin II filament formation, and MLC phosphorylation normally associated with the migration. These data suggest that endothelial Rho and Rho kinase regulate transendothelial neutrophil migration by modulating the cytoskeletal events that mediate such migration.