title: [Modulation of arterial smooth muscle cells in culture and cholesterol exchange].
abstract: The phenotypic modulation and the enhanced proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) as well as their foam transformation are major processes in arterial pathophysiology and during atherogenesis. Arterial SMC play a crucial role, in response to several stimuli: the SMC "activation" is an essential condition leading to the adult atherosclerotic plaque formation. Owing to the difficulty to study the SMC regulation in vivo, most of the literature in this field refers to in vitro models. Modulated SMC in culture, changing from a contractile to a synthetic state, share similar features with atherosclerotic plaques cells. The phenotypic modulation of SMC is expressed by morphological, biochemical, metabolic and functional modifications. The regulation of cholesterol movements might influence the foam transformation process of arterial SMC.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U.63., 22, Hôpital de l'Antiquaille, Lyon.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bourdillon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dusserre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Covacho
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berthezène
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
vernacular_title: Modulation des cellules musculaires lisses artérielles en culture et mouvements de cholestérol.