Influences of Ca2+ : Antagonist and Cyclic AMP on Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Culture

When cultured with a Ca2+ antagonist diltiazem, fetal bovine aortic smooth muscle cells showed a cobblestone-like monolayer and a positive factor VIII-related antigen in culture, which are supposed to be specific to the endothelial cells in general. Similar change was produced by addition of a cyclic AMP analogue, dibutyryl cyclic AMP or a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, theophylline. All of these changes were reversible. Both smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells are derived from mesenchymal cells embryologically and it is of great interest to presume the differentiation process of both cells.