GROWTH-CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURED HUMAN MACROVASCULAR VENOUS AND ARTERIAL AND MICROVASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

The morphological and growth characteristics of human macrovascular en dothelial cells (ECs) from venous and arterial umbilical cord vessels and microvascular ECs from foreskin were compared during cultivation. By means of time-lapse microcinematography and phase-contrast microsco py, differences in cell morphology and migratory activity between the different types of ECs were found. Growth characteristics were depende nt on the type of EC, the nature of the substrates on which the ECs we re grown and the presence of growth factors. For all types of ECs opti mal growth and formation of a monolayer were observed when the ECs wer e cultured on fibronectin or gelatin substrates in the presence of EC growth factor and heparin. Under these conditions confluent cultures o f macrovascular ECs reached maximal cell densities of 1,400-1,900 ECs/ mm(2), whereas microvascular ECs reached maximal cell densities of abo ut 700-900 ECs/mm(2). The cell cycle times calculated from the populat ion-doubling time and the stathmokinetic index, respectively, amounted to 63 and 83 h for microvascular ECs, 33 and 35 h for venous macrovas cular ECs, and 29 and 35 h for arterial macrovascular ECs.