title: Growth factors and experimental arterial grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The production of growth factors from several experimental arterial conduits was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We implanted 105 experimental arterial grafts that were 1 cm long in the abdominal aorta of Lewis rats (average weight, 250 g). Five different types of grafts were analyzed: arterial isografts, vein grafts, arterial allografts, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts with normal or decreased compliance. Animals were killed humanely 4 weeks after surgery and the production of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor-β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1 was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myointimal hyperplasia (MH) was evident in vein grafts, arterial allografts, and PTFE grafts, but not in arterial isografts. Growth factor production was increased for grafts prone to develop MH like vein, PTFE grafts, and arterial allografts. PDGF and bFGF were increased significantly for PTFE and vein grafts, but not for arterial allografts. The importance of bFGF and PGDF was confirmed by the capability of antibody to PDGF and to bFGF to reduce the mitogenic activity of smooth muscle cells, in vivo and in vitro, for PTFE and vein grafts, but not for arterial allografts, in which a predominant role was played by interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agents able to neutralize this increased production of growth factors, either directly or by competition with their receptors, can prevent MH formation.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.sterpetti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Antonio V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Sterpetti
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lepidi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borrelli
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Marzo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sapienza
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cucina
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pietro Valdoni, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts; D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006965:Hyperplasia; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D064596:Isografts; D023421:Models, Animal; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D058426:Neointima; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014680:Veins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene