Vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Atherosclerosis

Circulation Research is available at http://circres.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.306361 Abstract: The historical view of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerosis is that aberrant proliferation of VSMCs promotes plaque formation, but that VSMCs in advanced plaques are entirely beneficial, for example preventing rupture of the fibrous cap. However, this view has been...

Vascular smooth muscle cells and calcification in atherosclerosis.

Vascular calcification is a prominent feature of atherosclerosis but the mechanisms underlying vascular calcification are still obscure. Since bone-associated proteins such as osteonectin, osteocalcin, and matrix Gla protein have been detected in calcified vascular tissues, calcification has been considered to be an organized, regulated process similar to mineralization in bone tissue. Vascular...

Vascular smooth muscle cell senescence in atherosclerosis.

Markers of cell senescence have been identified in both the blood and vessel wall of patients with atherosclerosis. In particular, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from human plaques show numerous features of senescence both in culture and in vivo. This review summarises the evidence for VSMC senescence in atherosclerosis, and outlines the mechanisms and triggers leading to their se...

Vascular smooth muscle cell in atherosclerosis.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) exhibit phenotypic and functional plasticity in order to respond to vascular injury. In case of the vessel damage, VSMCs are able to switch from the quiescent 'contractile' phenotype to the 'proinflammatory' phenotype. This change is accompanied by decrease in expression of smooth muscle (SM)-specific markers responsible for SM contraction and production of ...

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and the Comparative Pathology of Atherosclerosis