SEX RELATED DIFFERENCES IN THE ADHESION, MIGRATION, AND GROWTH OF RAT AORTIC SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS IN CULTURE

摘要

Activation of migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) are crucial steps in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, mainly atherosclerosis and hypertension (19,20). In man, vascular wall disorders are more frequent and more severe in males (10). This sex difference may partly be due to a higher ability of male SMC to respond to vascular wall injuries by hyperplastic reactions. Data on sex related differences in growth and motility of these cells are, however, rare and incomplete. Increased synthesis of DNA was found in the aortic SMC of young male rats in situ (6). Doubling time of male vascular SMC populations in culture was found to be shorter and sensitive to microbiological conditions under which the animals had been raised (1-3,23). A proper analysis of motility and growth of SMC isolated from male and female blood vessels has not yet been performed and is the subject of this communication.