Both lisinopril and verapamil reduced platelet-derived growth factor-A chain mRNA levels in human saphenous vein endothelial cells stimulated by thrombin.

BACKGROUND

Both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers decrease postinjury intimal thickening in vivo, but their mechanisms of inhibitory action are unclear. Expression of the gene for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a smooth-muscle mitogen, in endothelial cells (ECs) after vessel injury has been postulated to cause intimal thickening. In this study, we tested whether lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, or verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, would suppress the PDGF gene expression in stimulated human saphenous vein ECs.

METHODS

Drugs were added to replicate EC cultures 30 minutes before adding 10 units/ml alpha-thrombin. Changes in PDGF-A chain mRNA levels were measured by Northern blot analysis or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. PDGF-AA homodimer in conditioned media was measured by ELISA:

RESULTS

Lisinopril attenuated the induction by thrombin of PDGF-A chain mRNA levels significantly in human ECs at doses of 10(-6) mol/L and 10(-5) mol/L (p < 0.05) and appeared to decrease PDGF-AA homodimer released in conditioned medium. Verapamil also reduced thrombin induction of PDGF-A chain mRNA levels significantly at a dose of 10(-5) mol/L (p < 0.05) and appeared to reduce PDGF-AA homodimer secretion.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that one means by which lisinopril and verapamil both suppress intimal thickening might be inhibition of PDGF-A chain gene expression in ECs regrowing over vessel injury areas that are sites of thrombin generation.