Smooth Muscle Cell Biology, Expression Profiling,

and Histological Analyses

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Stefan Blunder

Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory Medical University of Vienna

Insight into cell biological processes involved in the formation of thoracic aortic aneurysm.

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smooth muscle cells

Thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Goal of the study.

www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au

Thoracic aortic aneurysms…

Project Plan.

2. Development of a protocol for the isolation of primary SMC cell lines from human TAAs.

3. Assessment of basic cellular functions of primary SMCs.

4. Establishment of a broad gene expression profile of primary SMCs.

1. Histological analyses of human TAA specimens.

TAVBAVHistological Analysis.

SMC actin & nuclei & elastic fibres.

Histological Analysis.

Vimentin & Marson Trichrome.

Marson

Trichrome.

Smooth muscle cells – basic cellular characteristics.

Smooth Muscle Cells.

Gene expression profiling.

Smooth Muscle Cells.

Osteopontin.

*

AOsteopontin

*

BTissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3

Smooth muscle cells.

Osteopontin.

Smooth muscle cells.

TIMP 3.

Thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Conclusions.

* … p<0.05%; n.d. … not determined

Thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Conclusions.

• Changes in aortic SMCs may crucially contribute to TAA initation and formation.

• SMCs from aneurysm show signs of premature aging.

• BAV and TAV TAAs have distinct pathomechanisms.