title: Consistent responses of the human vascular smooth muscle cell in culture: implications for restenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The mechanisms whereby restenoses occur at discrete sites within the vasculature remain uncertain. We have recently reported that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from patients with graft stenoses are resistant to growth inhibition by heparin. In this study, we have examined whether VSMC proliferation rates and responses to inhibition by heparin vary according to the individual or the anatomic site of origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long saphenous veins from seven patients were divided into proximal, middle, and distal portions, and VSMC were cultured separately from each. VSMC proliferation in response to 15% fetal calf serum +/- 100 micrograms/ml heparin was measured by counting triplicate samples at 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days. This experiment was repeated from the second to the sixth passage (n = 6) and for artery and vein pairs derived from four additional patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences between vein segment cultures of individual veins were found not to differ significantly from experimental error for either proliferation or heparin inhibition and were not altered by repeated passage (ANOVA). There were, however, significant differences in sensitivity to heparin inhibition between patients (p = 0.02) (ANOVA). There were no significant differences between paired samples of artery and vein for either proliferation or heparin inhibition (Mann-Whitney test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VSMC growth characteristics reflect the individual patient and are maintained in cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Regional Vascular Unit, St. Mary's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Betteridge
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schachter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sever
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D006493:Heparin