Evaluation of the smooth muscle cell component and apoptosis in the varicose vein wall
J. Buján1, J.A. Jiménez-Cossio2, F. Jurado1, M.J. Gimeno1, G. Pascual1, N. García-Honduvilla1, B. Dominguez1 and J.M. Bellón1
1Department of Morphological Sciences and Surgery (Surgical
Research Laboratory), Faculty of Medicine,
University of Alcalá, Madrid, and 2Service of Vascular
Surgery, La Paz Hospital, Madrid, Spain
Offprint requests to: Dra. Julia Buján, Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas y Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, km 33.6, 28871 Madrid, Spain. Fax: 34-91-885 48 85. e-mail: mjulia.bujan@uah.es
Summary. This study was designed to evaluate the role
of the smooth muscle cell and the apoptosis in the pathogenesis
of the varicose vein.
Segments of saphenous vein were obtained from healthy subjects
and from those with varicose veins. The vein specimens were subdivided
according to subject age (younger or older than 50 years) and
according to the varicose vein source (distal or proximal). Morphological,
ultrastructural, cell proliferation (anti-PCNA method) and cell
death (TUNEL method) analysis were performed.
The walls of healthy, control vein specimens acquired a more collagenous
and papilomatous appearance with age. A slight increase in the
number of TUNEL-positive cells was also observed in specimens
from older subjects. The proportion of apoptotic cells was much
greater in the varicose veins than in control specimens. Most
cellular alterations were seen in proximal varicose segments obtained
from young subjects. These specimens showed hypertrophic areas
with a high degree of cellularity (both in the media and in the
thickened intima). The highest proportion of apoptotic cells and
collagenisation were also observed in these areas. The enhanced
number of apoptotic cells in varicose veins observed mainly in
proximal/young vein specimens could be responsible, at least in
part, for the acceleration of the final fibrosclerotic process
characteristic of the varicose vein wall. Histol. Histopathol.
15, 745-752
Key words: Varicose vein, Smooth muscle cell, Apoptosis,
Vein wall, Proliferation
DOI: 10.14670/HH-15.745