Atherosclerotic plaque smooth muscle cells have a distinct phenotype.
OBJECTIVE
The present study addresses the question, "Are plaque smooth muscles cells (SMCs) genetically distinct from medial SMCs as reflected by the ability to maintain a distinctive expression phenotype in vitro?"


RESULTS
Multiple cell strains were developed from carotid endarcterectomy specimens, and quadruplicate array hybridizations were completed for each sample. A new normalization protocol was developed and used to analyze the data. Permutation analysis suggests that most of the significant differences in expression could not have occurred by chance. A broad pattern of significant expression differences, consisting of almost 5% of the genes probed, was detected. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) confirmation was found in 70% of a subset of genes selected for validation.


CONCLUSIONS
The SMC cultures were nearly indistinguishable by morphological features, population doubling time, and sensitivity to cell death induced by Fas cross-linking. Surprisingly, array expression analysis identified differences so extensive that we conclude that plaque and medial SMCs are distinctly different SMC cell types.
Mulvihill
Eileen R
ER
Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Box 357335, Seattle, Wash 98195-7335, USA. mulvie@u.washington.edu
Jaeger
Jochen
J
Sengupta
Rimli
R
Ruzzo
Walter L
WL
Reimer
Cecile
C
Lukito
Sheila
S
Schwartz
Stephen M
SM
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000166:cytology; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D019014:fas Receptor; D005982:Glutathione Transferase