SERUM DEPRIVATION-INDUCED APOPTOSIS ACCOMPANIED BY UP-REGULATION OF P53 AND BAX IN HUMAN AORTIC VASCULAR SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

Vascular remodeling, which plays an important role in atherosclerosis and hypertension, is determined in large part by the balance between c ell growth and cell death by apoptosis. In this study, we studied the apoptosis of human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) induced by serum deprivation. Serum deprivation induced apoptosis of VSMC in a time-dependent manner. Serum deprivation resulted in the up-regulatio n of p53 protein, compared to treatment with 10% serum (P < 0.01), sug gesting that apoptosis induced by serum deprivation may be due to the up-regulation of p53. Of importance, the protein of bar, a promoter of apoptosis! was significantly increased in VSMC treated by serum depri vation compared to treatment with 10% serum (P < 0.01). Overall, these findings demonstrated that serum deprivation induced apoptosis in hum an aortic VSMC, accompanied by the induction of p53 and bar, suggestin g that apoptosis induced by serum deprivation may be mediated by the p 53-bax pathway.