Cardiovascular Research Advance Access [Accepted Manuscript] published online on July 10, 2009
Cardiovascular Research, doi:10.1093/cvr/cvp238
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THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENT BINDARIT INHIBITS NEOINTIMA FORMATION IN BOTH RATS AND HYPERLIPIDEMIC MICE
1 Department of Experimental Pharmacology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
2 Angelini R&D, Angelini Research Center, 00040 S.Palomba-Pomezia, Rome, Italy
3 Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NR, UK
4 School of Biotechnological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II.
* Corresponding author: Prof. Armando Ialenti, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico , Montesano, 49, 80131 – Naples Italy, Tel. +39.081.678424; Fax +39.081.678403, e-mail: ialenti{at}unina.it
Aims: Bindarit is an original compound with peculiar anti-inflammatory activity due to a selective inhibition of a subfamily of inflammatory chemokines, including the monocyte chemotactic proteins MCP-1/CCL2, MCP-3/CCL7 and MCP-2/CCL8. In this study we investigated the effect of bindarit on neointima formation using two animal models of arterial injury: rat carotid artery balloon angioplasty and wire-induced carotid injury in apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE–/-) mice.
Methods and Results: Treatment of rats with bindarit (200 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced balloon injury-induced neointima formation by 39% at day 14 without affecting re-endothelialization and reduced the number of medial and neointimal proliferating cells at day 7 by 54% and 30%, respectively. These effects were associated with a significant reduction of MCP-1 levels both in sera and in injured carotid arteries of rats treated with bindarit. In addition, in vitro data showed that bindarit (10-300 µM) reduced rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, migration and invasion, processes contributing to the injury-induced neointima formation in vivo. Similar results were observed in hypercholesterolemic apoE–/- mice in which bindarit administration resulted in a 42% reduction of the number of proliferating cells at day 7 after carotid injury and in a 47% inhibition of neointima formation at day 28. Analysis of the cellular composition in neointimal lesions of apoE–/- mice treated with bindarit showed that the relative content of macrophages and the number of VSMCs were reduced by 66% and 30%, respectively, compared with the control group.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that bindarit is effective in reducing neointima formation in both non-hyperlipidemic and hyperlipidemic animal models of vascular injury by a direct effect on VSMC proliferation and migration and by reducing neointimal macrophage content. All of these data were associated with the inhibition of MCP-1 production.
Time for primary review: 26 Days