Lipid metabolism in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells and comparison with other cell types. Part 2. Reversibility of lipid accumulation caused by hyperlipemic serum.

The lipid compositions of cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells and skin fibroblasts were determined for cells grown in media containing either normolipemic or hyperlipemic sera. Both cell types accumulated cholesteryl esters and triglycerides after treatment with hyperlipemic serum. Within 4 days of returning cells that had accumulated these neutral lipids to medium containing a low percentage of normolipemic serum, their concentrations in both cell types had returned to levels similar to those found in cells cultured in standard growth medium. Thus the accumulation of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides in smooth muscle cells, as in fibroblasts, may be completely reversed in vitro.