The role of differentiated vascular myocytes in neointimal formation in canine carotid artery was investigated. Using antibodies and cDNA probes, cells were characterized in situ and after isolation. In situ characterization indicated the majority of medial cells expressed both smooth muscle myosin and alpha actin but many cells were negative to these markers. All adventitial cells were negative for these proteins. The muscle protein-positive cells were designated differentiated, vascular myocytes (VSMC). The others were designated type 2 cells. Sequential enzyme digestion from the lumenal surface yielded VSMC ( Ͼ 90%) while digestions from the adventitial surface yielded type 2 cells ( Ͼ 90%). VSMC were viable in culture but did not spread, proliferate, or alter expression of muscle proteins. Type 2 cells proliferated and increased their expression of muscle actin but did not express muscle myosin. Characterization of neointimal cells from injured carotid arteries indicated they were morphologically and immunologically identical to cultured type 2 cells. We concluded that: ( a ) canine carotid artery media consists of a heterogeneous cell population; ( b ) serum does not stimulate isolated VSMC to undergo phenotypic modulation or proliferate; and ( c ) type 2 cells may be responsible for neointimal formation because they proliferate and acquire a phenotype identical to in situ neointimal cells. ( J. Clin. Invest. 1996. 97:814-825.)

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Serotonin (5-HT) and other contractile agonists stimulate Na(+)-H+ exchange in vascular smooth muscle. Since intracellular alkalinization, per se, stimulates contraction, we tested whether 5-HT-induced contraction was associated with an increased pHi. In HCO3(-)-free buffer (pHo 7.4), 5-HT (10(-5) M) increased pHi, as measured by 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein fluorescence, from 7.10 +/- 0.03 to 7.34 +/- 0.03 (p < 0.01) in primary cultures of canine femoral artery vascular smooth muscle cells grown to confluence in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum. In HCO3- buffer (24 mM, pHo 7.4), resting pHi was 7.26 +/- 0.04 (p < 0.01 versus HCO3(-)-free buffer) but was not altered by 5-HT. In both types of buffer, 5-HT stimulated 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride-sensitive 22Na+ uptake (Na(+)-H+ exchange). In HCO3- buffer and in Na(+)- and HCO3(-)-free buffer, 5-HT increased 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid-sensitive 36Cl- uptake, suggesting that 5-HT stimulated Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- and Cl(-)-Cl- exchange activities, respectively. Individual vascular smooth muscle cells were then cultured on rat tail tendon collagen gels in the presence of 0.5% fetal calf serum, and cell length and pHi were measured by video and epifluorescence microscopy. 5-HT contracted cells in a dose-dependent, reversible, and ketanserin-inhibitable manner. These cells, like cells grown in 10% fetal calf serum, exhibited Na(+)-H+ and Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange. In HCO3- buffer, 5-HT contracted cells without an associated change in pHi. We concluded the following: 1) 5-HT stimulated both Na(+)-H+ and Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange activities in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells in parallel. 2) As a result of enhanced H+ and HCO3- efflux, pHi was not altered. 3) In the presence of HCO3-, 5-HT-induced contraction was not associated with a change in pHi.

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