M. Trosheva et al., EXPRESSION OF CYTOSKELETAL PROTEINS AND ATPASE ACTIVITY IN BOVINE FEMORAL-ARTERY AND VEIN INTIMA, Histology and histopathology, 11(2), 1996, pp. 335-342
Intimal cells play an important role in the biology of the vascular wa
ll. Variability in the metabolic activity of intimal smooth muscle cel
ls (SMC), as well as the differential expression of cellular cytoskele
tal proteins depend on factors such as degree of differentiation, agin
g, atherosclerosis, etc. Myosin ATPase activity and cytoskeletal prote
ins were studied in the intima of bovine femoral arteries and veins of
mature animals. In some arteries the intima was thickened and two dis
tinct layers - inner elastic hyperplastic (EHL) and outer, musculo-ela
stic (MEL) were observed. ATPase activity was well defined in endothel
ial cells (EC) as well as in SMC. However, differential enzymatic expr
ession was observed in thickened intimas. SMC in the EHL were ATPase n
egative, while in the MEL they were ATPase positive. All EC and SMC in
the ''normal'' intimas were vimentin positive, desmin and cytokeratin
negative. In vessels with thickened intimas, the EHL showed intensive
vimentin positivity; in the MEL desmin immunoreactive SMC were numero
us as were as those in the media. Vimentin-positive SMC occupied their
innermost part. Differences in the expression of ATPase activity and
cytoskeletal proteins is discussed in terms of possible migration of m
edial SMC and/or morphological modulation observed in vessels with alt
ered vascular walls.