title: Sex-related differences in matrix remodeling and early osteogenic markers in aortic valvular interstitial cells.
abstract: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a major cardiovascular disorder in the developed countries. Male is a known risk factor in this disease; unfortunately, how sex contributes to CAVD is mostly unknown. The objective of this study is to determine whether valvular interstitial cells (VICs) isolated from male versus female aortic valves demonstrate difference in osteogenic differentiation and/or extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. VICs were isolated from male and female rat or porcine aortic valves and cultured in osteogenic media for 10, 15 and 20 days. The proliferation among male and female VICs was assessed by a cell growth assay. The matrix remodeling of the VIC samples was quantified using glycosaminoglycan (GAG), collagen type I and gelatin zymography assays. Early osteogenic marker expression was assessed using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and enzyme activity assay and Alizarin Red S staining. Our result showed that proliferation of VICs was significantly greater in female than male after 12 days of culture in regular media. Additionally, male VICs showed elevated amounts of normalized GAG, collagen I, and activated matrix metallopreoteniase-2 expression compared to female. Similarly, ALP content was greater in male VICs than female at all time points. In addition, male VICs formed calcific nodules with greater size, % area and integrated density than females. The results from this research suggest that there is a sex-related difference in the events associated with osteogenic differentiation of the aortic VICs, where male VICs are more prone to calcification.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 312 Perkins Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masjedi
authors.affiliation: The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 312 Perkins Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 312 Perkins Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 312 Perkins Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA. zferdous@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Zannatul
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ferdous
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D024042:Collagen Type I; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
keywords: Calcific aortic valve disease; Osteogenic differentiation; Sex-related differences; Valvular interstitial cells