Chapter 7 Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Cultures

Abstract

Publisher Summary Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the predominant cell type in blood vessels of the arterial tree. They are responsible for maintaining vascular tone in response to various hormonal and hemodynamic stimuli and they are the major cell type involved in the process of vascular repair, growth, and response to injury. The development of cell culture systems has greatly aided in this pursuit by providing a controlled environment to study the unique characteristics of these cells in isolation from other influences. When the blood vessel is mechanically injured and its endothelial lining removed, there is significant remodeling of the vessel. Medial VSMCs migrate across the elastic laminae and basement membrane and accumulate in the intima. There they proliferate and secrete increased amounts of interstitial matrix proteins. This new intimal structure is appropriately referred to as the neointima and the cells within it are neointimal VSMCs. This chapter discusses methods for culturing both medial and neointimal VSMCs as well as for culturing VSMCs obtained from atheromatous lesions.