We have constructed an in vitro arterial wall model by coculturing bovine arterial endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). When ECs were seeded directly over SMCs and cocultured in an ordinary culture medium, ECs grew sparsely and did not form a confluent monolayer. Addition of ascorbic acid to the culture medium at concentrations greater than 50 μg/ml increased the production of type IV collagen by the SMCs, and ECs formed a confluent monolayer covering the entire surface of SMCs. Histological studies showed that the thickness of the cell layer composed of ECs and SMCs increased with increasing duration of coculture. This arterial wall model, prepared by our method, may serve as a simple and good in vitro model to study the effects of factors such as biological chemicals and shear stress on cell proliferation and other physiological functions of arterial walls.
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9 February 2007
Improved arterial wall model by coculturing vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells
Koichi Niwa,
Jiro Sakai,
Toshihiro Watanabe,
Tohru Ohyama,
Takeshi Karino
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In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal
Vol. 43 • No. 1
January 2007
Vol. 43 • No. 1
January 2007
Artery
coculture
endothelial cell
in vitro model
smooth muscle cell