Cultured arterial smooth muscle cells maintain distinct phenotypes when implanted into carotid artery.
Cultured arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with distinct phenotypic features have been described by several laboratories; however, it is not presently known whether this phenotypic heterogeneity can be maintained within an in vivo environment. To answer this question, we have seeded into the intima of denuded rat carotid artery 2 SMC populations with well-established distinct biological features, ie, spindle-shaped, not growing in the absence of serum, and well differentiated versus epithelioid, growing in the absence of serum, and relatively undifferentiated, derived from the aortic media of newborn rats (aged 4 days) and old rats (aged >18 months), respectively. We show that these 2 populations maintain their distinct biochemical features (ie, expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle myosin heavy chains, and cellular retinol binding protein-1) in the in vivo environment. The old rat media-derived SMCs continue to produce cellular retinol binding protein-1 but little alpha-smooth muscle actin and smooth muscle myosin heavy chains, whereas the newborn rat media-derived SMCs continue to express alpha-smooth muscle actin and smooth muscle myosin heavy chains but no cellular retinol binding protein-1. Our results reinforce the notion of arterial SMC phenotypic heterogeneity and suggest that in our model, heterogeneity is controlled genetically and not by the local environment.
Bochaton-Piallat
M L
ML
Department of Pathology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Clowes
A W
AW
Clowes
M M
MM
Fischer
J W
JW
Redard
M
M
Gabbiani
F
F
Gabbiani
G
G
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001158:Arteries / Q000166:cytology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular
D000199:Actins; C518458:Rbp1 protein, rat; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains