<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>The effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on
cell proliferation in rat aortic intima-media, as well
as on local gene expression of transforming growth
factor-<italic>β</italic>1 (TGF-<italic>β</italic>1) was studied. TGF-<italic>β</italic>1 mRNA
was measured by solution hybridization and TGF-<italic>β</italic>1 protein by ELISA. Proliferation was measured
by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation into DNA two
days after balloon injury. All BrdU-labelled cells
observed were smooth muscle cells. After a diabetes
duration of 2 and 4 weeks, labelled cells were
significantly fewer compared with controls. Circulating
levels of total TGF-<italic>β</italic>1 were lowered in rats
with 2 weeks diabetes. Although the balloon injury
procedure by itself stimulated the gene expression
of TGF-<italic>β</italic>1, no significant difference in TGF-<italic>β</italic>1
mRNA content between diabetic and control rats
after injury was found. In conclusion: vascular
smooth muscle proliferation <italic>in vivo</italic> is inhibited by
the diabetic state in this model of insulin deficient
diabetes and this inhibition is not related to an
impaired local expression of TGF-<italic>β</italic>1.</p>
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Int J Exp Diabetes Res. 2000; 1(2):101-109