Gal-1 binding to SMCs was stronger than to ECM, although ECM of atherosclerotic blood vessels contained additional ECM proteins which bound to Gal-1. Gal-1 was upregulated during SMC growth and Gal FP enhanced serum-induced DNA synthesis in SMCs. Overall, Gal-1 upregulation is likely to provide a reinforcement of serum-induced events during vascular injury.

Galectin 1 (Gal-1), a lactose-binding lectin, is a component of vascular extracellular matrix and secreted by human vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible role of Gal-1 in controlling adhesion and migration of cultured human vascular SMCs. Gal-1 co-localised with laminin and cellular fibronectin in extracellular matrix (ECM) secreted by cultured human vascular SMCs. Recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Gal-1 fusion protein bound to laminin and cellular fibronectin in ELISA. GST-Gal-1 inhibited SMC attachment to laminin via interactions with both SMCs and laminin. GST-Gal-1 inhibited SMC spreading on plastic or on laminin, but not on cellular fibronectin. GST-Gal-1 modulated SMC migration on laminin and inhibited migration on cellular fibronectin. GST-Gal-1 bound to several ³⁵S-labelled proteins in SMC extracts including laminin and α1β1 integrin, identified by depletion of SMC protein extracts with respective antibodies. We conclude that Gal-1 is able to modulate SMC attachment, spreading and migration via interactions with ECM proteins and α1β1 integrin.

This multiple-case study explored women's relational experiences as attachment injury patterns in distressed stepcouple relationships and how these experiences might be attributable to stepcouple status. The first author interviewed five stepmothers with biological children, using open-ended interview questions developed from attachment theory and existing research regarding attachment injury and stepfamily formation. Data analysis using the pattern-matching method derived and explored markers of attachment injury in the women's stepcouple relationships. The four categories of attachment injury showed significant attribution to stepfamily issues. This supports past stepfamily research suggesting that stepcouples face unique challenges. Further, these findings suggest that the language of attachment injury accurately describes stepcouples' problems and the usefulness of conceptualizing and addressing these problems in an attachment injury framework.

SUMMARYA monoclonal antibody, D5G2, which reacts in a balloon angioplasty damage model with unfixed damaged but not with unfixed undamaged human endothelial cells, was used to screen a human endothelial cDNA library in an Escherichia coli/l gt11 expression system. Sequences of DNA inserts in D5G2 þ phage clones matched those reported for a laminin-binding protein, LBP-32. Both D5G2 and purified laminin bound to a polypeptide of 55 kD on PVDF membranes carrying electrophoretically separated endothelial cell lysates, D5G2 also bound to recombinant LBP expressed in E. coli, and showed similar staining patterns on human and bovine endothelial cells to another characterized anti-LBP antibody. Increased staining of unfixed endothelial cells on detergent permeabilization suggests that D5G2 binds to intracellular laminin-binding protein made accessible by cell membrane injury. Antibodies to intracellular targets exposed by cell damage may be useful in anchoring therapeutic agents at sites of vascular damage.