EFFECTS OF INCREASED PRESSURE AND OXYGEN ON THE GROWTH-RATE OF CULTURED ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS DERIVED FROM HUMAN SAPHENOUS-VEIN

In order to study the possible mechanisms of atherosclerotic changes i nvolving the saphenous vein graft in coronary bypass surgery, endothel ial cells were cultured from human saphenous vein and used in experime nts. The intimal surface of human saphenous vein was treated with coll agenase followed by mechanical scraping with a surgical scalpel. The e ndothelial cells obtained were cultured in M 199 medium supplemented w ith 20% human serum. In experiments, different ambient pressures (eith er normal or increased at 100 mmHg) and oxygen tensions (either 20% or 5.3%) were applied to the cultured endothelial cells to study the eff ects on cell proliferation. Four experiments were performed. It was fo und that the growth rate of endothelial cells was constantly and signi ficantly decreased in high ambient pressure. Increase in oxygen did no t significantly affect cell growth. The culture condition closest to t he venous environment rendered best cell growth. It is concluded that growth rate of cultured endothelial cells derived from human saphenous vein can be affected by changes in ambient pressure. The changes may play some role in the pathogenesis of bypass graft atherosclerosis.