Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Cultures

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Abstract
—Calcification of vascular tissue is a common complication in aging, atherosclerosis, diabetes, renal failure, aortic stenosis, and prosthetic valve replacement. Osteopontin is a noncollagenous adhesive protein routinely found at sites of dystrophic calcification and synthesized at high levels by macrophages in calcified aortic valves and atherosclerotic plaques. In the present study, we have characterized the calcification of bovine aortic smooth muscle cell (BASMC) cultures in vitro and have studied the effects of exogenous osteopontin on mineral deposition. Induction of calcification in BASMC cultures was alkaline phosphatase–dependent and was characterized by a multilayer cell morphology. Mineral deposition occurred in the basal matrix of multilayered areas as indicated by von Kossa staining, and transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction identified the mineral as apatite. Ultrastructural analysis of the cultures showed the presence of extracellular matrix vesicles, calcifying c...