Vascular intimal cells are cultured from the thickened intima of carotid artery, without any atheromatous lesion isolated from 19 years old female who died of an accident. The individual cell formed a ring and two to five cells formed a composite cell ring resembling a capillary at a low cell density. The cells showed contact-inhibition and never overlayed each other on confluency.
The cells have two characteristic histochemical findings expressing some of the endothelial function, but lack rest of them. The former is factor VIII ralated surface antigen on the cell membrane and less function of prostaglandine synthesis than endothelium, the latter is no production of angiotensin converting enzyme and no Weibel-Palade body appearance.
Therefore, these cells are designated as variant endothelial cells derived from thickened intima of human carotid arteries.
