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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2003;23:204.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

Vascular Biology

Role of p44/p42 MAP Kinase in the Age-Dependent Increase in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Neointimal Formation

Giuseppa Gennaro; Catherine Ménard; Edith Giasson; Sophie-Élise Michaud; Maria Palasis; Sylvain Meloche; Alain Rivard

From the Department of Cardiovascular Research, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (G.G., C.M., S-É.M., A.R.) and Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (S.M., E.G.), Montréal, Québec, Canada and Boston Scientific Corporation (M.P.), Natick, Mass.

Correspondence to Alain Rivard, MD, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, 1560 Sherbrooke Est, Suite Y-3605, Montréal, Que, H2L 4 M1, Canada. E-mail rivardal{at}total.net

Objective— Age-dependent increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is thought to contribute to the pathology of atherosclerotic diseases. In this study, we investigated the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) on VSMC proliferation and neointimal formation in the context of aging.

Methods and Results— VSMCs were isolated from the aorta of young and old rabbits. The proliferative index after serum stimulation was significantly increased in old versus young VSMCs. This was associated with a significant and specific age-dependent increase in p44/p42 MAPK activation. Treatment with MEK inhibitor PD98059 successfully inhibited p44/p42 MAPK activities and VSMC proliferation. These results were confirmed in vivo using a model of balloon injury in rabbit iliac arteries. p44/p42 MAPK activities were rapidly induced by angioplasty in young and old animals. However, the levels of p44/p42 MAPK activities achieved in arteries of old rabbits were significantly higher than those of young rabbits. This was associated with a higher cellular proliferative index and a significant increase in neointimal formation in old animals. Local delivery of PD98059 in old rabbits successfully inhibited p44/p42 MAPK activities after angioplasty, which led to a significant reduction in cellular proliferation and neointimal formation in treated animals.

Conclusions— Our study suggests for the first time that increased p44/p42 MAPK activation contributes to augmented VSMC proliferation and neointimal formation with aging. p44/p42 MAPK inhibition could represent a novel therapeutic avenue against atherosclerotic diseases.

Key Words: astherosclerosis • aging • vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation • mitogen-activated protein kinase

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