Cell proliferation in normal and atherosclerotic human aorta. I. Flow cytofluorometric determination of cellular deoxyribonucleic acid content.

By enzymatic dispersion cells were isolated from intimal and medial layers of healthy and atherosclerotic human aorta. The analysis of cell distribution according to DNA content was made using flow cytofluorometry. It was found that intimal and medial cell populations are heterogeneous with respect to DNA content and include 2 n and 4 n DNA populations. The 4 n cell content may amount to 19% of cell population. As a rule, the percentage of 4 n cells in intima is lower than in media. In atherosclerotic lesions their content is lower than in uninvolved areas. The 4 n-DNA population includes mono- and binuclear cells.