L-arginine inhibits neointimal formation following balloon injury.
Nitric oxide (NO)-generating vasodilators inhibit the mitogenesis and proliferation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. We investigated the role of NO in the vascular response to arterial injury by administering L-arginine (precursor of NO), D-arginine or N-nitro L-arginine methylester (NAME; an inhibitor of NO synthesis) to a rat model of balloon catheter-induced left carotid artery injury. Two weeks after the balloon injury, animals that received both oral (1.25 g/l water) and local (10mg in gel) administration of L-arginine showed suppression of neointimal proliferation with no change in systolic blood pressure. Medial proliferation was potentiated in NAME-treated animals with a higher blood pressure. Tissue cGMP content (representative of NO generation) of the injured arteries was similar to that of normal arteries with intact endothelium. These findings suggest that a higher local concentration of NO produced from L-arginine can inhibit the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the injured vascular wall.
Taguchi
J
J
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Abe
J
J
Okazaki
H
H
Takuwa
Y
Y
Kurokawa
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects*; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries; D002404:Catheterization; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000187:drug effects*
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester