Science Publications

Wallace,CS; Champion,JC; Truskey,GA

Abstract To evaluate interactions between human endothelial cells (ECs) and smoothmuscle cells (SMCs) for the development of tissue-engineered vessels, we examined the adhesion andkey cell properties of human ECs grown on quiescent human aortic SMCs. ECs attached to SMCs spreadmore slowly than ECs attached to fibronectin surfaces, and ECs aligned along the direction of theSMCs. ECs attached firmly and less than 5% of the cells were removed by shear stresses as high as300 dyn cm(-2). Unlike porcine SMCs and co-cultures, human SMCs or co-cultures do not contract underflow, and the human ECs and SMCs in co-culture align toward the direction of flow. A confluentendothelium could be maintained in co-culture for over 30 days, and some of the ECs reorientedperpendicular to the SMCs after 9 days in static culture. Surface tissue factor levels in ECs andSMCs were less in co-culture than in monoculture. Co-culture induced an increase in calponinexpression in SMCs. These findings show that human co-cultures can be maintained for long cultureperiods, where the endothelium remains confluent and responds to long-term exposure to flow, andEC-SMC interactions lead to an increase in SMC differentiation and an EC surface that is lessthrombotic.

Keywords Endothelial Cells; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle

Annals of Biomedical Engineering
0090-6964, Volume 35, Issue 3, 2007, Pages 3-386