title: Special characteristics of cultured smooth muscle cell subtypes of hypertensive and diabetic rats.
abstract: In rat smooth muscle cell cultures two types of cells were detected. The majority of cells were small and spindle-shaped, 15% of which were labeled with H3-thymidine and displayed a nucleus/plasma relation of 1:15. Thirteen percent of the smooth muscle cell population was large and partly polynuclear. The H3-thymidine labeling was 1.3% in these rounder cells, and the nucleus/plasma ratio was 1:44. The surface area and cell shape of both types of cells were quantified morphometrically. Diabetes was induced in a group of animals by streptozotocin and hypertension by cellophane perinephritis. Data on smooth muscle cells (SMC) in culture obtained from diabetic and hypertensive rats differed from those of the controls. The percentage of small cells was significantly decreased, while the H3-thymidine index was increased in both diabetic and hypertensive rats. The number of large and polynuclear cells increased relative to the small cells, and they also displayed a higher proliferation rate as well as a change in their nucleus/plasma ratio. Another group of diabetic animals was treated with acetylsalicylic acid prior to SMC cultivation. Acetylsalicylic acid prevented the majority of changes found in cultured SMC of diabetic rats.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002460:Cell Line; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013311:Streptozocin
chemical_list: D013311:Streptozocin; D001241:Aspirin