Biomaterial Database

Human vascular smooth muscle in culture. Growth and ultrastructure. 1975

M A Gimbrone, and R S Cotran

Mixed primary cultures of endothelial and smooth muscle cells were obtained from human umbilical cord vessels after prolonged collagenase digestion of their luminal surfaces. Morphologically homogeneous populations of vascular smooth muscle were then selectively isolated and subcultured for up to 16 weeks. Ultrastructurally, cultured cells were characterized by the presence of bundles of myofilaments with dense bodies similar to native umbilical vessel smooth muscle. Mature cultures developed a distinctive topographical organization consisting of bands of parallel cells and intertwined, multilayered areas. Elaborate intercellular attachments formed along contiguous cell surfaces. Large amounts of extracellular material accumulated, including amorphous substance, elastic fiber microfibrils, and 250- to 300-A,faintly-banded fibrils. In older cultures, focal proliferation, extracellular material secretion and cellular degeneration produced nodular protrusions somewhat resembling atherosclerotic lesions in vivo. Endothelium and smooth muscle cultured from this readily available human source may provide useful comparative material for pathophysiologic studies of vascular disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007365	Intercellular Junctions	Direct contact of a cell with a neighboring cell. Most such junctions are too small to be resolved by light microscopy, but they can be visualized by conventional or freeze-fracture electron microscopy, both of which show that the interacting CELL MEMBRANE and often the underlying CYTOPLASM and the intervening EXTRACELLULAR SPACE are highly specialized in these regions. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p792)	Cell Junctions,Cell Junction,Intercellular Junction,Junction, Cell,Junction, Intercellular,Junctions, Cell,Junctions, Intercellular
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008858	Microscopy, Phase-Contrast	A form of interference microscopy in which variations of the refracting index in the object are converted into variations of intensity in the image. This is achieved by the action of a phase plate.	Phase-Contrast Microscopy,Microscopies, Phase-Contrast,Microscopy, Phase Contrast,Phase Contrast Microscopy,Phase-Contrast Microscopies
D009130	Muscle, Smooth	Unstriated and unstriped muscle, one of the muscles of the internal organs, blood vessels, hair follicles, etc. Contractile elements are elongated, usually spindle-shaped cells with centrally located nuclei. Smooth muscle fibers are bound together into sheets or bundles by reticular fibers and frequently elastic nets are also abundant. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Muscle, Involuntary,Smooth Muscle,Involuntary Muscle,Involuntary Muscles,Muscles, Involuntary,Muscles, Smooth,Smooth Muscles
D009210	Myofibrils	The long cylindrical contractile organelles of STRIATED MUSCLE cells composed of ACTIN FILAMENTS; MYOSIN filaments; and other proteins organized in arrays of repeating units called SARCOMERES .	Myofilaments,Myofibril,Myofilament
D009940	Organoids	An organization of cells into an organ-like structure. Organoids can be generated in culture, e.g., self-organized three-dimensional tissue structures derived from STEM CELLS (see MICROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS). They are also found in certain NEOPLASMS.	Organoid
D003012	Microbial Collagenase	A metalloproteinase which degrades helical regions of native collagen to small fragments. Preferred cleavage is -Gly in the sequence -Pro-Xaa-Gly-Pro-. Six forms (or 2 classes) have been isolated from Clostridium histolyticum that are immunologically cross-reactive but possess different sequences and different specificities. Other variants have been isolated from Bacillus cereus, Empedobacter collagenolyticum, Pseudomonas marinoglutinosa, and species of Vibrio and Streptomyces. EC 3.4.24.3.	Clostridiopeptidase A,Clostridium histolyticum Collagenase,Collagenase, Microbial,Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum,Collagenase-Like Peptidase,Collalysine,Nucleolysin,Clostridium histolyticum, Collagenase,Collagenase Like Peptidase,Collagenase, Clostridium histolyticum,Peptidase, Collagenase-Like,histolyticum, Collagenase Clostridium
D004727	Endothelium	A layer of epithelium that lines the heart, blood vessels (ENDOTHELIUM, VASCULAR), lymph vessels (ENDOTHELIUM, LYMPHATIC), and the serous cavities of the body.	Endotheliums
D005110	Extracellular Space	Interstitial space between cells, occupied by INTERSTITIAL FLUID as well as amorphous and fibrous substances. For organisms with a CELL WALL, the extracellular space includes everything outside of the CELL MEMBRANE including the PERIPLASM and the cell wall.	Intercellular Space,Extracellular Spaces,Intercellular Spaces,Space, Extracellular,Space, Intercellular,Spaces, Extracellular,Spaces, Intercellular
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man