title: Characterization of a continuous smooth muscle cell line derived from rabbit aorta.
abstract: A spontaneously arising continuous cell line (Rb-1) derived from collagenase-elastase digested rabbit aorta has been propagated in vitro for over 100 passages. During this period, the Rb-1 cells remained spindle-shaped and formed regularly oriented parallel bundles. After Passage 50, Rb-1 cells were found to be serum-independent in their growth and reached higher saturation density than rabbit aorta smooth muscle cells. Alpha-actin and desmin filaments were detected by immunostaining in Rb-1 cells and early passage of rabbit aorta smooth muscle cells. The proportion of alpha-actin transcripts in Rb-1 cells was lower than that of transcripts for beta- and gamma-actins. The modal chromosome number was maintained at 44 between Passages 11 and 60, and two marker chromosomes were constantly present. Infection of Rb-1 cells with two strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 resulted in high titers of virus, whereas a herpes simplex virus type 2 temperature-sensitive mutant replicated only at the permissive temperature. The Rb-1 cell line could be used for the study of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and their interaction with viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia 29208.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nachtigal
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nagpal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greenspan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nachtigal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legrand
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003893:Desmin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006561:Herpes Simplex; D007621:Karyotyping; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D003893:Desmin