ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a model of smooth muscle cells differentiated from bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-SMCs) in vitro and explore the relationship between scavenger receptors A (SR-A) and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BMSCs were isolated from the femoral bone of SD rats by adherent culture. After treatment of the BMSC-SMCs with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h, Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of scavenger receptor SR-A, cell cholesterol transport protein ATP-binding cassette transporter Al (ABCA1) and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BMCS-SMCs became foam cells after treatment with ox-LDL. BMSC-SMC gave rise to more foam cell formation than VSMCs did. Western blotting showed that treatment with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h resulted in significantly increased expression of SR-A and significantly decreased expressions of ABCA1 and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Treatment of BMCS-SMCs with ox-LDL results in cholesterol ester accumulation in the cells to result in foam cells, the mechanism of which involves up-regulation of scavenger receptor SR-A expression and down-regulation of the reverse cholesterol transport protein ABCA1 and caveolin-1 expression.</p>