Diabetes, Vol 35, Issue 9 973-978, Copyright © 1986 by American Diabetes Association
Growth-promoting effects of diabetes and insulin on arteries. An in vivo study of rat aorta
L Capron, J Jarnet, S Kazandjian and E Housset
Proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells is regarded as an important
event in atherogenesis, which according to in vitro culture studies is
influenced by diabetes and insulin. To assess whether this holds true in
vivo, we studied the cellular kinetics of thoracic aorta in normal and
streptozocin-induced diabetic rats with and without insulin treatment. We
measured the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into intima-media, as well as
its DNA content, 2 and 14 days after endothelial denudation. We found that
the mitotic response of an injured artery is not modified by diabetes but
is depressed by insulin treatment in nondiabetic rats, probably due to
hypoglycemia. Our data in insulin-treated diabetic rats support but do not
definitely settle the view that insulin is mitogenic as long as the
treatment does not cause sustained hypoglycemia.