High Mobility Group Box Protein 1 Boosts Endothelial Albumin Transcytosis through the RAGE/Src/Caveolin-1 Pathway

High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1), an inflammatory mediator, has been reported to destroy cell-cell junctions, resulting in vascular endothelial hyperpermeability. Here, we report that HMGB1 increases the endothelial transcytosis of albumin. In mouse lung vascular endothelial cells (MLVECs), HMGB1 at a concentration of 500 ng/ml or less did not harm cell-cell junctions but rapidly induced endothelial hyperpermeability to I-125-albumin. HMGB1 induced an increase in 125I-albumin and AlexaFluor 488-labeled albumin internalization in endocytosis assays. Depletion of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), but not TLR2 or TLR4, suppressed HMGB1-induced albumin transcytosis and endocytosis. Genetic and pharmacological destruction of lipid rafts significantly inhibited HMGB1-induced albumin endocytosis and transcytosis. HMGB1 induced the rapid phosphorylation of caveolin (Cav)-1 and Src. Either RAGE gene silencing or soluble RAGE suppressed Cav-1 Tyr14 phosphorylation and Src Tyr418 phosphorylation. The Src inhibitor 4-amino5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidine (PP2) blocked HMGB1-induced Cav-1 Tyr14 phosphorylation. PP2 and overexpression of Cav-1 with a T14F mutation significantly inhibited HMGB1-induced transcytosis and albumin endocytosis. Our findings suggest that HMGB1 induces the transcytosis of albumin via RAGE-dependent Src phosphorylation and Cav-1 phosphorylation. These studies revealed a new mechanism of HMGB1-induced endothelial hyperpermeability.