Phenotype gradation of human saphenous vein endothelial cells from cardiovascular disease subjects.

The highly organized histological architecture of the vascular wall and the specialized cellular phenotypes are perturbed in conditions such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, and hypertension. Alterations of endothelial cell (EC) phenotype in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as an effect of alteration of extracellular matrix (ECM) composition have not been well understood. In vitro study of EC phenotype is limited because they tend to dedifferentiate in subcultures. The objective of this study was to use in vitro cell culture on a biomimetic matrix model to characterize phenotype of human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSVECs) harvested from CVD patients. Parameters studied were mRNA expression and synthesis of von Willebrand factor (vWF), plasminogen activation inhibitor (PAI), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), and endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS). Proliferation and apoptosis of HSVEC cultures obtained from eight different patients were compared on two matrices until passage 12. In early passages, both the prothombotic molecules vWF and PAI were overexpressed, whereas the antithrombotic molecules t-PA and eNOS were underexpressed. With increase in passage number, low expression of prothrombotic molecules and high expression of antithrombotic molecules were seen in cells on the model matrix. But when cells were grown on conventional gelatin-coated polystyrene, expression of prothrombotic molecules amplified further and antithrombotic molecules lessened with the progression of passages. On the model matrix HSVECs showed good proliferation rate and survival through several passages. It is demonstrated that matrix composition can influence switching of EC phenotypes into pro/antithrombotic states. This matrix model may be suitable to study the effect of exogenous factors on EC dysfunction with respect to CVD.