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Homocysteine and the production of collagens, proliferation and apoptosis in human arterial smooth muscle cells
Author(s) -
RASMUSSEN LARS M.,
HANSEN PETER R.,
LEDET THOMAS
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0463.2004.apm1120907.x
Subject(s) - apoptosis , tunel assay , homocysteine , smooth muscle , endocrinology , vascular smooth muscle , cell growth , medicine , caspase , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , programmed cell death , andrology , biochemistry
Homocysteine (H(e)) is an important and independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. We showed that human aortic smooth muscles in cultures proliferated significantly at a concentration of 25 μmol/L H(e) without the presence of serum. There was no effect of H(e) on apoptosis as determined by TUNEL‐assay and gene expression of proapoptotic protein bax, caspases and TNFα families. However, collagen types I, III and IV increased significantly in a dose‐dependent manner at elevated concentrations of H(e) and the amount of type VI collagen was significantly reduced in a dose‐dependent manner. H(e) induced increased cell replication with an unaffected apoptosis rate. The present observations suggest that H(e) may contribute to accelerated progression of atherosclerotic lesions with collagen alterations which transform the injury into fibrotic plaques.