Phenotypic heterogeneity influences the behavior of rat aortic smooth muscle cells in collagen lattice

Journal Article · Sat Dec 10 04:00:00 EST 2005 · Experimental Cell Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.10.008· OSTI ID:20775322

Orlandi, Augusto ^[1]; Ferlosio, Amedeo ^[1]; Gabbiani, Giulio ^[2]; Spagnoli, Luigi Giusto ^[1]; Ehrlich, Paul H ^[3]

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1. Anatomic Pathology, Dept. of Biopathology and Image Diagnostics, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
2. Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva (Switzerland)
3. Division of Plastic Surgery, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA (United States)

Phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerosis and restenosis involves responses to the surrounding microenvironment. SMCs obtained by enzymatic digestion from tunica media of newborn, young adult (YA) and old rats and from the thickened intima (TI) and underlying media of young adult rat aortas 15 days after ballooning were entrapped in floating populated collagen lattice (PCL). TI-SMCs elongated but were poor at PCL contraction and remodeling and expressed less {alpha}2 integrin compared to other SMCs that appeared more dendritic. During early phases of PCL contraction, SMCs showed a marked decrease in the expression of {alpha}-smooth muscle actin and myosin. SMCs other than TI-SMCs required 7 days to re-express {alpha}-smooth muscle actin and myosin. Only TI-SMCs in PCL were able to divide in 48 h, with a greater proportion in S and G2-M cell cycle phases compared to other SMCs. Anti-{alpha}2 integrin antibody markedly inhibited contraction but not proliferation in YA-SMC-PLCs; anti-{alpha}1 and anti-{alpha}2 integrin antibodies induced a similar slight inhibition in TI-SMC-PCLs. Finally, TI-SMCs rapidly migrated from PCL on plastic reacquiring their epithelioid phenotype. Heterogeneity in proliferation and cytoskeleton as well the capacity to remodel the extracellular matrix are maintained, when SMCs are suspended in PCLs.

• OSTI ID: 20775322
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 311; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ACTIN
ANTIBODIES
AORTA
BALLOONING INSTABILITY
CATTLE
COLLAGEN
GROWTH FACTORS
INFANTS
MUSCLES
MYOSIN
RATS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY