The study of apoptosis and characterization of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by oxysterols / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

AIM　To study the apoptosis and characterizati on of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by cholestan-3β,5 α,6β-triol(Triol) and compared with 25-hydryoxycholestrol(25-OH). M ETHODS　The culture of vascular muscle smooth cells (VSMCs), light and e lectron transmission microscopy and TdT-mediated dUPT nick-end labeling (TUNEL ) technique. RESULTS　After being treated with oxyterols, VSMCs showed apoptosis of ultrastracture change including shrinkage, condensation of nuclear chromatin, fragmentation nuclei and formation of apoptotic body. TUNEL r evealed that Triol-induced apoptosis in VSMCs was in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of Triol and 25-OH at a 30 μmol*L-1 concentration i n culture medium induced apoptosis of VSMCs, the former was not but the latter was inhibited by cholesterol at a 50 μmol*L-1 concentration. CO NCLUSION Triol can induce VSMCs apoptosis in vitro and oxysterol-i nduced apoptosis in VSMCs may be mediated through various pathway and different mechanism. Oxysterol-induced apoptosis in VSMCs may play an important role in t riggering atherosclerosis plaque rupture and result to the onset of the acute co ronary syndromes.