Abstract
Summary
Of 60 biopsies of atheromatous lesions, 40 were grown in tissue culture, and 11 were successfully transferred for 6 or more passages. Four of the aorta or A cell strains were carried for about 30 passages over a period of about 6 months. After this they become senescent and degenerate like the Wistar fibroblast strains. However, the A cell strains may be revived from the large stocks of cells being maintained in a liquid nitrogen depository. The cultures appear to consist of a mixture of fibroblastic and endothelioid cells. The cells have a high susceptibility to DNA viruses (pox-, herpes- and adenovirus groups) and to RNA viruses (myxo-, reo-, and picor-navirus groups). They seem to be particularly susceptible to some of the rhinoviruses which have a limited host cell range.
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