Expression data from PDGF-BB-treated rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Rattus norvegicus

Unlike other terminally differentiated cell types, vascular SMCs display remarkable phenotypic plasticity. The adult, differentiated state is traditionally defined by expression of well-characterized SMC contractile genes. Extracellular cues, however, can induce contractile SMCs to remodel toward a synthetic state characterized by a spectrum of proliferative, migratory, and inflammatory phenotypes. We used whole-genome expression arrays to to identify genes associated with SMC phenotypic modulation. Overall design: Rat aortic SMCs were serum-starved for 72 hours and subsequently treated with either PDGF-BB or its respective vehicle (n=2). RNA samples were hybridzed to Affymetrix arrays with the intent to identify early genes associated with SMC phenotypic modulation.