title: An overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation.
abstract: The fully differentiated medial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of mature vessels keep quiescent and contractile. However, VSMC can exhibit the plasticity in phenotype switching from a differentiated and contractile phenotype to a dedifferentiated state in response to alterations in local environmental cues, which is called phenotypic modulation or switching. Distinguishing from its differentiated state expressing more smooth muscle (SM)-specific/selective proteins, the phenotypic modulation in VSMC is characterized by an increased rate of proliferation, migration, synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins and decreased expression of SM contractile proteins. Although it has been well demonstrated that phenotypic modulation of VSMC contributes to the occurrence and progression of many proliferative vascular diseases, little is known about the details of the molecular mechanisms of VSMC phenotypic modulation. Growing evidence suggests that variety of molecules including microRNAs, cytokines and biochemical factors, membrane receptors, ion channels, cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix play important roles in controlling VSMC phenotype. The focus of the present review is to provide an overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation in recent years. To clarify VSMC differentiation and phenotypic modulation mechanisms will contribute to producing cell-based therapeutic interventions for aberrant VSMC differentiation-related diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ming-Jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The First Retired Cadres' Clinic of Zibo Military Subarea, Zibo, 255000, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Yue
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China. lijingcheng11@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Jing-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China. zhanglilidoctor@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype
keywords: Ion channels; MicroRNAs; Molecular mechanisms; Phenotypic modulation; Vascular smooth muscle cells