Effects of Increased Pressure and Oxygen on the Growth Rate of Cultured Endothelial Cells Derived from Human Saphenous Vein

Abstract

In order to study the possible mechanisms of atherosclerotic changes involving the saphenous vein graft in coronary bypass surgery, endothelial cells were cultured from human saphenous vein and used in experiments. The intimal surface of human saphenous vein was treated with collagenase followed by mechanical scraping with a surgical scalpel. The endothelial cells obtained were cultured in M 199 medium supplemented with 20% human serum. In experiments, different ambient pressures (either normal or increased at 100 mmHg) and oxygen tensions (either 20% or 5.3%) were applied to the cultured endothelial cells to study the effects on cell proliferation. Four experiments were performed. It was found that the growth rate of endothelial cells was constantly and significantly decreased in high ambient pressure. Increase in oxygen did not significantly affect cell growth. The culture condition closest to the venous environment rendered best cell growth. It is concluded that growth rate of cultured endothelial cells derived from human saphenous vein can be affected by changes in ambient pressure. The changes may play some role in the pathogenesis of bypass graft atherosclerosis.