Inhibition of intimal thickening in the rat carotid artery injury model by a nontoxic Ras inhibitor

Abstract

Background: Neointimal formation with and without previous vascular injury is common after balloon dilation and in transplant arteriosclerosis. It involves proliferation and migration of medial smooth muscle cells and inflammation, processes that are regulated by Ras proteins and their down-stream effectors. Farnesylthiosalicylate (FTS) is a Ras inhibitor that interferes with Ras membrane anchorage and affects Ras proteins in their active state. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that systemic administration of FTS will suppress intimal thickening in the rat carotid injury model.

Methods and results: The effects of FTS on rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and splenocytes proliferation were evaluated in vitro. The in vivo effects of FTS on the neointima of balloon-injured male Wistar rats, treated daily for 2 weeks with FTS (5 mg/kg weight, intraperitoneally) were evaluated by determination of Ras, Ras-GTP, and active ERK levels (3 days after injury), and by quantitative determination of the extent of intimal thickening and immunohistochemistry for Ras, iNOS, NFkB, and Ki-67 (2 weeks after injury). FTS inhibited VSMC and splenocyte proliferation as well as interferon-gamma secretion by splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with controls, FTS treatment resulted in a strong decrease in Ras-GTP and active ERK, and it significantly reduced intimal thickening after the injury. Ras expression appeared predominantly at areas of neointima regardless of the treatment group. NFkB and iNOS-positive cell numbers were reduced in sections of FTS treated rats.

Conclusions: FTS appears to act as a potent inhibitor of intimal thickening in a model of experimental arterial injury.