Abstract
The wall of a human artery consists of three distinct tunics. The tunica intima is lined by a layer of endothelial cells facing the lumen. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the predominant cell type in the tunica media of arteries. They are surrounded by a basal lamina containing collagen IV, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, and extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules: collagens type 1, III, V, and VI, and elastin. The external tunica adventitia consists primarily of collagen fibers, elastic tissue, and fibroblasts. Because smooth muscle cells play a dominant role in the development of intimal hyperplasia during atherosclerosis, these cells have been studied extensively in vitro.
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Ā© 2001 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
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Gallicchio, M.A. (2001). Culture of Human Smooth Muscle Cells. In: Drew, A.F. (eds) Atherosclerosis. Methods in Molecular Medicineā¢, vol 52. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-073-X:137
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-073-X:137
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-751-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-073-5
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