mRNA expression of LDLR, CD36, SRAI/II, CE content, and LDLR protein in human SMCs incubated with LDL. A through C, mRNA of SMCs incubated in M199 media containing 0.4% FBS (48 h) followed by incubation in M199 0.4% FBS with LDL (150 μg lipoprotein cholesterol / mL media) for up to 40 h. A, LDLR; B, CD36; and C, SRAI/II. Values for cells incubated in M199 0.4% FBS media without LDL are set at 1.0. Values for cells incubated in M199 10% FBS media are shown for comparison. Values are mean±SEM for 4 separate experiments. *P<0.05 vs cells grown in 10% FBS without LDL analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test. D, CE content of SMCs incubated in M199 0.4% FBS media (48 h) followed by incubation in M199 0.4% FBS media with or without LDL for up to 40 h. Values are mean±SEM for 4 separate experiments. *P<0.05 vs cells at 0 h, grown in 0.4% FBS without LDL as analyzed by the Student t test. E, Representative immunoblot of LDL receptor protein from postnuclear fractions of SMCs incubated as in A through C. F, Relative mRNA content of LDLR, SRAI/II, and CD36 in SMCs incubated in M199 0.4% FBS media (48 h) followed by incubation in M199 0.4% FBS media with LDL (150 μg lipoprotein cholesterol/mL media) for 0 or 16 h. Values are mean±SEM for 3 separate experiments. *P<0.03 vs LDLR at 16 h and SRAI/II and CD36 at 0 and 16 h of incubation with LDL; †P<0.03 vs SRAI/II and CD36 at 0 and 16 h of incubation with LDL, as analyzed by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test.