Are there differences among characteristics of portions of human mesenteric artery trees?

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Vascular lesion formations in such disease states as hypertension and atherosclerosis occur in a district-specific manner. Large conduit and small resistance arteries play district-specific roles in the regulation of organ perfusion. Using a culture method, we studied the morphology and growth of smooth muscle cells derived from small arteries (S-SMCs, less than 90μm in internal diameter) and from larger arteries (L-SMCs, ranging from 800 to 900μm) of the rat mesenteric arterial bed. S-SMCs were smaller, bipolar-shaped ; in contrast, the majority of L-SMCs were larger, polygonal-shaped. Actin fibers within S-SMCs were oriented in a bipolar manner from the nuclei, whereas those within L-SMCs had a radial appearance. [3H]Thymidine incorporation induced by serum, platelet-derived growth factor-AB(PDGF), or mechanical stretch was greater in S- vs L-SMCs. The population doubling time measured after the addition of serum or PDGF was shorter in S- vs L-SMCs. Thus, distinct morphological and growth phenotypes of SMCs exist in small and larger arteries of the same vascular bed.Furthermore, we clarified that there are the same relationship between S- and L-SMCs in smooth muscle cells of human mesenteric arteries and furthermore that there are differences among characteristics of portions of human mesenteric artery trees using differentiation markers of calponin and caldesmon, and receptors of endotherins and angiotensins in addition of intermediated size filaments.