Smooth muscle cells in porcine vein graft intimal hyperplasia are derived from the local vessel wall.
BACKGROUND
Accelerated intimal hyperplasia (IH) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease treated with bypass vein grafts. We used an interposition vein graft model to determine the source of neointimal cells in a clinically relevant large animal model.


METHODS
Jugular vein segments from sex-mismatched, MHC-in-bred pigs were implanted into common carotid arteries bilaterally and harvested up to 8 weeks postsurgery for stereological, histological, and immunofluorescence analyses.


RESULTS
Progressive IH lesions contained macrophages and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Fluorescent in situ hybridization following grafting of female veins into male arteries revealed that only ∼10% of the SMC were male, confirming that the majority of intimal SMC derived from the local vessel wall.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of neointimal SMC in the IH seen after interposition vein grafting derive from the engrafted local vessel wall. These are the first results from a clinically relevant large animal model that confirm data from rodent models. They have implications for the utility of therapeutic stem cells in this type of intimal hyperplasia.
Jevon
Marc
M
Cardiovascular Sciences Unit, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Ansari
Tahera I
TI
Finch
Jonathan
J
Zakkar
Mustafa
M
Evans
Paul C
PC
Shurey
Sandra
S
Sibbons
Paul D
PD
Hornick
Phillip
P
Haskard
Dorian O
DO
Dorling
Anthony
A
D000818:Animals; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000473:pathology*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013997:Time Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014998:Y Chromosome