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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
Published on: February 20, 2019
Apoptosis induced by 7-ketocholesterol is enhanced in smooth muscle cells derived from OLETF rats
Yoh Miyashita1, Nobukiyo Koide, Tomokazu Oyama
1Center of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, Sakura Hospital, Toho University School of Medicine, 564 Shimoshizu, Sakura-shi, Chiba 285-8741, Japan. mumon@sf6.so-net.ne.jp
Abstract:
To clarify whether an increased proliferative potential of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) under diabetic conditions augments the susceptibility of the cells to 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis, we investigated the difference in sensitivity to 7-ketocholesterol between SMC obtained from diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats and the control Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats. The outgrowth rate from aortic wall explants and cell proliferation were higher in SMC derived from OLETF rats (OLETF-derived SMC) compared to those from LETO rats (LETO-derived SMC). When 7-ketocholesterol was added to SMC, the amount of fragmented DNA increased significantly in OLETF-derived compared to LETO-derived SMC. The amount of fragmented DNA induced by 7-ketocholesterol decreased significantly in both OLETF- and LETO-derived SMC when they were incubated without fetal bovine serum. By adding PDGF-BB to LETO-derived SMC, the amount of fragmented DNA induced by 7-ketocholesterol increased significantly. These results suggest that apoptosis of SMC induced by 7-ketocholesterol may be accelerated when SMC acquire a high proliferative potential by prolonged exposure to diabetic condition.
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