MOVAS

The MOVAS cell line is a murine vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) line derived from the aortic smooth muscle cells of C57BL/6 mice. This immortalized cell line retains key smooth muscle characteristics, making it a valuable tool for studying VSMC biology and pathophysiology. MOVAS cells have been extensively used in research on vascular processes such as atherosclerosis, calcification, and cellular signal transduction. They express characteristic smooth muscle markers, including alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and can be cultured under various experimental conditions to model vascular diseases.

One of the major applications of MOVAS cells is in the study of vascular calcification. This cell line can undergo calcification in vitro when cultured in calcifying media containing β-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid, mimicking processes observed in primary VSMCs. MOVAS cells exhibit elevated alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition, which are key markers of vascular calcification. This model has also been validated against primary murine aortic VSMCs, showing comparable responses to calcifying conditions and treatments with known inhibitors like levamisole and etidronate. These features establish MOVAS as a reliable and cost-effective alternative to primary VSMCs, reducing experimental variability and ethical concerns.

Additionally, MOVAS cells have been used to explore cholesterol metabolism, a process critical to atherosclerosis development. They express essential cholesterol transporters such as ABCA1 and ABCG1, and exhibit functionality in cholesterol efflux to HDL and apoAI. Cholesterol-loading experiments have demonstrated their ability to transdifferentiate into macrophage-like cells, a process linked to atherosclerotic plaque formation. These findings highlight the utility of MOVAS cells in studying cholesterol homeostasis, phenotypic plasticity, and vascular disease progression.

37°C, 5% CO₂, humidified atmosphere.

1. Confirm that the vial remains deeply frozen upon delivery, as cells are shipped on dry ice to maintain optimal temperatures during transit.

2. Upon receipt, either store the cryovial immediately at temperatures below -150°C to ensure the preservation of cellular integrity, or proceed to step 3 if immediate culturing is required.

3. For immediate culturing, swiftly thaw the vial by immersing it in a 37°C water bath with clean water and an antimicrobial agent, agitating gently for 40-60 seconds until a small ice clump remains.

4. Perform all subsequent steps under sterile conditions in a flow hood, disinfecting the cryovial with 70% ethanol before opening.

5. Carefully open the disinfected vial and transfer the cell suspension into a 15 ml centrifuge tube containing 8 ml of room-temperature culture medium, mixing gently.

6. Centrifuge the mixture at 300 x g for 3 minutes to separate the cells and carefully discard the supernatant containing residual freezing medium.

7. Gently resuspend the cell pellet in 10 ml of fresh culture medium. For adherent cells, divide the suspension between two T25 culture flasks; for suspension cultures, transfer all the medium into one T25 flask to promote effective cell interaction and growth.

8. Adhere to established subculture protocols for continued growth and maintenance of the cell line, ensuring reliable experimental outcomes.

Mycoplasma contamination is excluded using both PCR-based assays and luminescence-based mycoplasma detection methods.

To ensure there is no bacterial, fungal, or yeast contamination, cell cultures are subjected to daily visual inspections.

For long-term preservation, place vials in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen at about −150 to −196 °C. Storage at −80 °C is acceptable only as a short interim step before transfer to liquid nitrogen.

Cryopreserved cell lines are shipped on dry ice in validated, insulated packaging with sufficient refrigerant to maintain approximately −78 °C throughout transit. On receipt, inspect the container immediately and transfer vials without delay to appropriate storage.

At Cytion, we stand behind the quality and viability of our products. We guarantee that our cells will be viable at the start of culture for 60 days after shipment from our facilities. We assure that all materials conform to the specifications described in the Certificate of Analysis and/or Product Sheet.

For full details, please refer to our Warranty Statement.