Abstract
The purpose of this study was to characterize the cellular contributions to the formation of the pseudointima (PI) using immuno-histochemistry with antibodies to specific smooth muscle myosin isoforms, SM1, SM2, SMemb, and to alpha-smooth muscle actin. The outer wall of polytetrafluoroethylene tube grafts were coated with a 10-microns silicon film except for 5 mm of the midportion and the grafts were implanted into the inferior vena cava of rabbits. The PI in the anastomotic area was mainly formed by dedifferentiation and redifferentiation of medial smooth muscle cells of the host vessel, while PI in the midgraft was formed by differentiation of myofibroblasts into smooth muscle cells in the internodal space.
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