부산대학교 도서관

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2613.2008.00578.x Byline: Cecylia Tukaj Keywords: calcitriol; elastic fibres; smooth muscle cells; ultrastructure Abstract: Summary Elastin is the major extracellular matrix component synthesized, secreted and deposited by vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the arterial media and thus plays an important role in vascular homeostasis. Results of our previous studies showed that 1[alpha],25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [[1,25(OH).sub.2]D.sub.3-calcitriol] accelerates proliferation of SMCs and modulates their growth in vitro. The aim of this study was to find ultrastructural support for the idea that [1,25(OH).sub.2]D.sub.3-calcitriol affects elastic fibre formation due to accelerated proliferation of aortal SMCs in vitro. SMCs exposed 10 days to supraphysiological concentration (10 nM) of calcitriol in primary culture were examined by fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Morphological studies revealed that calcitriol altered elastin maturation by favouring accumulation of immature rather than fully processed elastic fibres. A substantial decrease in the amorphous elastin deposition and abnormal accumulation of microfibrillar component, in thickened multilayer culture, were observed. These studies suggest that [1,25(OH).sub.2]D.sub.3 affect formation of elastic fibres due to enhanced proliferation of SMCs in culture. Article History: Received for publication: 11 June 2007 Accepted for publication: 27 December 2007 Article note: Cecylia Tukaj, Department of Electron Microscopy, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland, Tel.: +48 58 349 15 00, Fax: +48 58 349 14 56, E-mail: ctukaj@amg.gda.pl