Isolated arterial smooth-muscle cells (SMCs) cultured in medium containing whole blood
serum or plasma-derived serum undergo modulation from a contractile to a synthetic
phenotype. This process includes the loss of myofilaments and cessation of the ability to
contract. lnstead, an extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum and a large Golgi complex are
formed and, if properly stimulated, the cells start to proliferate actively and to produce
extracellular-matrix components. In vivo, a similar change in the differentiated properties of …