Prostacyclin synthesis by proliferative aortic smooth muscle cells. A kinetic in vivo and in vitro study.

The capacity of arterial SMCs to produce PGI2 when stimulated by exogenous AA was studied in proliferative and confluent cultured cells and at different periods following endothelial denudation in vivo. PGI2 production per cell was doubled during the exponential growth-phase in culture. By contrast, increased PGI2 formation did not correlate with mitotic activity in intimal regeneration tissue but with the presence of SMCs in a synthetic phenotype. The present results suggest a potential role for PGI2 in SMC differentiation and proliferation.