Vasculo-protective effects of insulin sensitizing agent pioglitazone in neointimal thickening and hypertensive vascular hypertrophy

Takanobu Yoshimoto, Mitsuhide Naruse, Hiroshi Shizume, Kiyoko Naruse, Akiyo Tanabe, Masami Tanaka, Katsuya Tago, Kaoru Irie, Takamura Muraki, Hiroshi Demura, Luciano Zardi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

90 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A novel insulin sensitizing agent, thiazolidine, has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in vitro. This study was undertaken to examine the in vivo effects of the thiazolidine compound pioglitazone (PIO) on carotid neointimal thickening, after endothelial injury in Wistar rats and vascular hypertrophy in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP/Izm). PIO treatment (3 mg/kg/day for 1 week prior to endothelial injury and 2 weeks postendothelial injury) remarkably decreased neointimal cross-sectional areas in treated animals (63.8±4.9x103 μm2) versus controls (196±7.6x103 μm2, P<0.05). Bromodeoxyuridine uptake in the neointima, a marker of DNA synthesis, was also decreased after treatment compared with controls. In SHR-SP/Izm but not in Wistar rats, PIO treatment decreased blood pressure and plasma insulin levels. PIO treatment in SHR-SP/Izm (3 mg/kg/day from 4 weeks of age for 7 weeks) significantly decreased the medial wall thickness of the mesenteric artery (10.4±1.2x103 μm2 versus control, 21.2±2.4x103 μm2, P<0.05). In addition, PIO treatment significantly decreased the expression of EIIIA fibronectin both in the carotid neointima of Wistar rats and the media of the mesenteric artery in SHR-SP/Izm compared with their respective controls (P<0.05). These results suggest that PIO has vasculo-protective effects in both acute and chronic vascular injury in vivo through inhibition of VSMC proliferation. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)333-340
Number of pages8
JournalAtherosclerosis
Volume145
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Fibronectin
  • Hypertension
  • Morphometry
  • Neointima formation
  • Pioglitazone
  • Thiazolidine
  • Vascular smooth muscle cell

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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