In vitro differentiation of porcine aortic vascular precursor cells to endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells (original) (raw)

Recent findings suggest that progenitor and multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are associated with vascular niches. Cells displaying mesenchymal properties and differentiating to whole components of a functional blood vessel, including endothelial and smooth muscle cells, can be defined as vascular stem cells (VSCs). Recently, we isolated a population of porcine aortic vascular precursor cells (pAVPCs), which have MSC- and pericyte-like properties. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether pAVPCs possess VSC-like properties and assess their differentiation potential toward endothelial and smooth muscle lineages. pAVPCs, maintained in a specific pericyte growth medium, were cultured in high-glucose DMEM + 10% FBS (long-term medium, LTM) or in human endothelial serum-free medium + 5% FBS and 50 ng/ml of hVEGF (endothelial differentiation medium, EDM). After 21 days of culture in LTM, pAVPCs showed an elongated fibroblast-like morphology, and they seem to organiz...