Summary
Hypertension has a high prevalence among subjects with decreased insulin sensitivity and/or hyperinsulinemia. Furthermore, angiotensin II plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vascular tone and is known to induce hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia in vascular smooth muscle cells. In the present study, the effect of insulin on angiotensin II induced smooth muscle cell growth (Wistar-Kyoto rat) was investigated. Cell growth was assessed by the measurement of [3H]thymidine incorporation into cell DNA. Insulin in a concentration range of 1.7 × 10−10–1.7 × 10−6 M lacked any effect on cell DNA synthesis. However, insulin enhanced the angiotensin 11 induced DNA synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was similar in cells with a weak and in cells with a marked response in DNA synthesis to stimulation with 100 nM angiotensin 11. In conclusion, insulin is able to enhance angiotensin 11 induced DNA synthesis and may therefore function as a growth cofactor in vascular smooth muscle cells.
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Abbreviations
- AngII:
-
angiotensin II
- EGF:
-
epidermal growth factor
- bFGF:
-
basic fibroblast growth factor
- PDGF-BB:
-
platelet-derived growth factor-BB
- VSMC:
-
vascular smooth muscle cells
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. N. Zöllner on the occasion of his 70th birthday
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Ko, Y., Sachinidis, A., Wieczorek, A. et al. Insulin enhances angiotensin II induced DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells of the rat. Clin Investig 71, 379–382 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186627
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186627