Enzyme histochemical expressions of smooth muscle cell modulation in arterial development, hypertension and remodeling

Abstract

In order to define metabolic profiles of smooth muscle cell (SMC) modulation, 16 enzyme activities linked to nucleotide hydrolysis, lipolysis, lysosomal reactivity and intermediate glucose catabolism were compared in four rat arterial models, exhibiting four metabolic phenotypes of modulated smooth muscle cells: (i) "primary synthetic" statein immature aorta; (ii) "contractile" state in adult aorta; (iii) "hypertensive" state in aorta of hypertensive rat, SHR; (iiii) "secondary synthetic" state in diffuse intimal thickening of ligated carotid artery. Contractile SMC presented strong activities of enzymes linked to nucleotide ester hydrolysis and contractility (ATP-A-Ca, ATP-A-Mg, ATP-A-Ca/Mg, 5'nucleotidase) and to lipolytic process (butyryl cholinesterase, acid esterase). These enzyme activities were more pronounced in "hypertensive SMC". Incontrast, the same enzymes were weakly active or not expressed in "synthetic SMC". Increased lysosomal enzyme reactivity was a particular expression of "secondary synthetic SMC". The observed enzyme abnormalities in reactively modulated SMC (proliferative-synthetic phenotype) might be related to the loss of contractility and to the enhanced cell proliferation and lipid accumulation, characteristic features of modulated SMC in atherogenesis.