Organoid culture of cannulated rat resistance arteries: effect of serum factors on vasoactivity and remodeling.

We developed an organoid culture technique to study the mechanisms involved in arterial remodeling. Resistance arteries were isolated from rat cremaster muscle and mounted in a pressure myograph at 75 mmHg. Vessels were studied during a 4-day culture period in DMEM with either 2% albumin, 10% heat-inactivated FCS (HI-FCS) or 10% dialyzed HI-FCS (12 kDa cut off) added to the perfusate. The albumin group showed a gradual loss of endothelial function and integrity, whereas smooth muscle agonist and myogenic responses were retained. No remodeling was observed. Vessels cultured in the presence of serum showed a progressive constriction. Smooth muscle responses and substance P-induced endothelium-dependent dilation were maintained. An inward remodeling of 17 +/- 4% in the HI-FCS group and 26 +/- 3% in the dialyzed HI-FCS group was found, while media cross-sectional areas were unchanged. These data show that pressurized resistance arteries can be maintained in culture for several days and undergo eutrophic remodeling in vitro in the presence of high molecular weight serum factors.