[Interaction of endothelial and smooth muscle cells of the pig aorta in primary culture].

In primary coculture of endothelial and smooth muscle cells, the muscle cells preserve their specialized phenotype (high myosin content) contrary to a pure smooth muscle cell culture. The addition of thrombin to the coculture-system results in loss of specialized phenotype of smooth muscle cell i.e. the relative myosin content decreases.