Cellular adhesion molecules on vascular smooth muscle cells

Abstract

Several studies during the last years have shown that, in addition to endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells also express the cellular adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in atherosclerosis, restenosis and transplant vasculopathy. In vitro studies have characterized stimulatory and inhibitory factors that regulate the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on cultured smooth muscle cells. There is evidence for a role of adhesion molecules on smooth muscle cells for leukocyte accumulation and activation of mononuclear cells. Some recent data suggest that the expression of adhesion molecules on smooth muscle cells are cell cycle-dependent and influence smooth muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on smooth muscle cells may contribute to the inflammatory reaction in the vascular wall and may actively be involved in the progression and stability of atherosclerotic plaques.

Inhibition of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Attenuates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice

“…38 Ligation of hyaluronan to its main receptor CD44 is required for activation of inflammatory cells and for phenotypic dedifferentiation of SMCs to the synthetic phenotype. 39 VCAM-1, a marker of SMC dedifferentiation, 39 tended to also be reduced in lesions of the SU5402-treated apoE Ϫ/Ϫ mice. Our findings also indicate that FGFRs can promote atherosclerosis by inducing COX-2 expression; COX-2 is highly expressed in human atherosclerotic lesions.…”

The bio-complex "reaction pattern in vertebrate cells" reduces cytokine-induced cellular adhesion molecule mRNA expression in human endothelial cells by attenuation of NF-kappaB translocation

“…Cellular adhesion molecules are expressed on different cell types, e.g., vascular endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages; their expression can be significantly increased in the presence of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IFNγ), reactive oxygen species, and shear stress (1,11). The presented data show that treatment of HUVEC with native RiV preparations resulted in a reduction in TNF-a-stimulated CAM mRNA expression after four hours but resulted in a further increase of CAM surface expression after 16 hours.…”

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and the Comparative Pathology of Atherosclerosis

“…However, some other therapeutic studies in the same trials (e.g. HOPE and HPS) indicated significant benefit [67,75]. Of equal importance is that conventional antipletlet therapy has antioxidant effects as it has the ability to limit ROS production by activated platelets.…”