Heparin-binding (fibroblast) growth factors type one and two genes are co-expressed in proliferating normal human vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells in culture.

Complimentary ribonucleic acid (cRNA) probes were used to detect expression of the genes for heparin binding (fibroblast) growth factor type one (HBGF-1) and two (HBGF-2) in cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells from normal human blood vessels. Hybridization in situ revealed that transcripts for both HBGF-1 and HBGF-2 are expressed in endothelial cells from both umbilical vein and aorta. Relative intensity of radioactive grains suggest that HBGF-1 gene expression may exceed HBGF-2 expression in aortic smooth muscle cells. Collective expression of both HBGF-1 and HBGF-2 in smooth muscle cells may exceed that in endothelial cells.