Biomaterial Database

Diversity of phenotype and function of vascular smooth muscle cells. 1996

S L Archer

Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, MN 55417, USA.

Recent observations indicate that cell-to-cell and segment-to-segment variation occur in the morphology and function of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells in pulmonary and systemic arteries. This diversity includes differences in cell phenotype and in expression of cytoskeletal proteins as well as heterogeneity of the number and activity of potassium (K) channel types. The concept of cell diversity indicates that the arterial media is a mosaic of cell populations that differ from each other in phenotype and function. The prevalence of various VSM populations varies from segment to segment within a single artery and also may contrast among vascular trees of different organs. The composition of the arterial media is plastic, changing with normal development from fetus to adult and in response to vascular injury. Diversity of cell function is important in physiology and pathophysiology, allowing localized responses to vasodilators, vasoconstrictors, and proliferative stimuli within a vascular segment. Diversity may also explain the divergent responses of vascular beds to a common stimulus, such as hypoxia.

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
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D011651	Pulmonary Artery	The short wide vessel arising from the conus arteriosus of the right ventricle and conveying unaerated blood to the lungs.	Arteries, Pulmonary,Artery, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Arteries
D003598	Cytoskeletal Proteins	Major constituent of the cytoskeleton found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. They form a flexible framework for the cell, provide attachment points for organelles and formed bodies, and make communication between parts of the cell possible.	Proteins, Cytoskeletal
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000860	Hypoxia	Sub-optimal OXYGEN levels in the ambient air of living organisms.	Anoxia,Oxygen Deficiency,Anoxemia,Deficiency, Oxygen,Hypoxemia,Deficiencies, Oxygen,Oxygen Deficiencies
D001158	Arteries	The vessels carrying blood away from the heart.	Artery
D015221	Potassium Channels	Cell membrane glycoproteins that are selectively permeable to potassium ions. At least eight major groups of K channels exist and they are made up of dozens of different subunits.	Ion Channels, Potassium,Ion Channel, Potassium,Potassium Channel,Potassium Ion Channels,Channel, Potassium,Channel, Potassium Ion,Channels, Potassium,Channels, Potassium Ion,Potassium Ion Channel