Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
7083148 
Journal Article 
Cellular growth under hydrostatic pressure using bovine aortic EC-SMC co-cultured ePTFE vascular graft 
Sun, L; Niwa, K; Lin, JZ; Karino, T; , 
2005 
1 
Journal of Zhejiang University - Science B
ISSN: 1673-1581
EISSN: 1862-1783 
English 
15633240 
High blood pressure (hypertension) is implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. Blood vessels are constantly subjected to stretch due to blood pressure and changes in stretch usually instigate adaptive vascular remodeling, including abnormal growth and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) as well as extracellular matrix (ECM). In this experiment, we used bovine aortic endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (EC-SMC) co-cultured ePTFE vascular grafts subjected to normal atmospheric pressure (as a control), and 100 mmHg hydrostatic pressure for 7 d. The increase of cell layer thickness was observed. When measured, the cell layer thickness increased by 116.2%. The increase of collagen (Type IV) synthesis was also observed in the immunohistochemistry assay. When stained with toluidine blue, the cells showed metachromatic phenomenon.