Plasma-derived serum as a selective agent to obtain endothelial cultures from swine aorta

Endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell cultures from artery wall provide a potential model system for studying cellular processes involved in atherogenesis. To prepare serial subcultures of swine arterial endothelial cells that are free of smooth muscle cells without either selecting a small population or subjecting the cells to cytotoxic conditions, we used swine plasma-derived serum (SPDS) to establish conditions in which endothelial cells have a growth advantage. Endothelial cells were collected by collagenase digestion and smooth muscle cell cultures were prepared by outgrowth from explants of arterial medial segments. Growth rates were compared when each cell type was maintained on SPDS, or fetal bovine serum (FBS), or swine whole serum (SWS). When 20% FBS or SWS were used the doubling times were less than 30 h for both endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. On 20% SPDS the doubling time for endothelial cells was 32 h, but for smooth muscle cells it was at least 168 h. Using SPDS, we prepare endothelial subcultures from swine aorta that express principally polygonal morphology at confluence. Endothelial cell cultures grown on SPDS have higher angiotensin-converting enzyme than those grown on FBS.