Aging, smooth muscle cells and vascular pathobiology: implications for atherosclerosis. 2006

Augusto Orlandi, and Marie-Luce Bochaton-Piallat, and Giulio Gabbiani, and Luigi Giusto Spagnoli
Anatomic Pathology Institute, Department of Biopathology, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, Italy. orlandi@uniroma2.it

Epidemiological and autopsy studies suggest a close link between aging and the clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis. Several experiments show increased arterial susceptibility to atherogenetic stimuli in aged subjects. All together, these findings support the concept that aging represents an independent atherogenetic risk factor, intimately associated to other parietal, microenvironmental and systemic noxae. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) represent the major arterial cell population. As aging occurs, SMCs progressively migrate from the tunica media and accumulate into the tunica intima. Myointimal thickening may represent the site where low-grade atherogenic stimuli cause early development and more severe lesion progression. Intimal SMC accumulation is characterized from a switch, from a differentiated to a synthetic phenotype, with reduced myocytic cytoskeletal markers and the expression of new proteins. Aging also associates to changes of SMC proliferative and apoptotic behavior and response to growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-beta1. The alteration of SMC properties represents a crucial event in the pathobiology of arterial wall, since it contributes to the vascular remodeling and decline of function with aging and favors the progression of atherosclerosis. Increased knowledge of biomolecular mechanisms regulating these events helps to develop new strategies aimed at contrasting the adverse effect of vascular aging.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009131 Muscle, Smooth, Vascular The nonstriated involuntary muscle tissue of blood vessels. Vascular Smooth Muscle,Muscle, Vascular Smooth,Muscles, Vascular Smooth,Smooth Muscle, Vascular,Smooth Muscles, Vascular,Vascular Smooth Muscles
D002465 Cell Movement The movement of cells from one location to another. Distinguish from CYTOKINESIS which is the process of dividing the CYTOPLASM of a cell. Cell Migration,Locomotion, Cell,Migration, Cell,Motility, Cell,Movement, Cell,Cell Locomotion,Cell Motility,Cell Movements,Movements, Cell
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000375 Aging The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time. Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D012307 Risk Factors An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent. Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D017209 Apoptosis A regulated cell death mechanism characterized by distinctive morphologic changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm, including the endonucleolytic cleavage of genomic DNA, at regularly spaced, internucleosomal sites, i.e., DNA FRAGMENTATION. It is genetically programmed and serves as a balance to mitosis in regulating the size of animal tissues and in mediating pathologic processes associated with tumor growth. Apoptosis, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Intrinsic Pathway,Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis,Classic Apoptosis,Classical Apoptosis,Programmed Cell Death,Programmed Cell Death, Type I,Apoptoses, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptoses, Intrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Caspase-Dependent,Apoptosis, Classic,Apoptosis, Classical,Caspase Dependent Apoptosis,Cell Death, Programmed,Classic Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptosis,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptosis
D017539 Tunica Intima The innermost layer of an artery or vein, made up of one layer of endothelial cells and supported by an internal elastic lamina. Internal Elastic Lamella,Internal Elastic Lamina,Tunica Intima Vasorum,Vascular Intima,Arterial Intima,Venous Intima,Arterial Intimas,Elastic Lamella, Internal,Elastic Lamina, Internal,Internal Elastic Laminas,Intima, Arterial,Intima, Vascular,Intima, Venous,Lamella, Internal Elastic,Lamina, Internal Elastic,Vascular Intimas,Venous Intimas
D049109 Cell Proliferation All of the processes involved in increasing CELL NUMBER including CELL DIVISION. Cell Growth in Number,Cellular Proliferation,Cell Multiplication,Cell Number Growth,Growth, Cell Number,Multiplication, Cell,Number Growth, Cell,Proliferation, Cell,Proliferation, Cellular
D050197 Atherosclerosis A thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of ARTERIES that occurs with formation of ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES within the ARTERIAL INTIMA. Atherogenesis,Atherogeneses,Atheroscleroses
D032389 Myocytes, Smooth Muscle Non-striated, elongated, spindle-shaped cells found lining the digestive tract, uterus, and blood vessels. They are derived from specialized myoblasts (MYOBLASTS, SMOOTH MUSCLE). Smooth Muscle Cells,Cell, Smooth Muscle,Cells, Smooth Muscle,Myocyte, Smooth Muscle,Smooth Muscle Cell,Smooth Muscle Myocyte,Smooth Muscle Myocytes

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