NAFTAZONE ACCELERATES HUMAN SAPHENOUS-VEIN ENDOTHELIAL-CELL PROLIFERATION IN-VITRO

Restoration of a haemocompatible surface after endothelial damage indu ced by treatments such as embolectomy, angioplasty, endarterectomy or irradiation or following vascular graft implantation is an important f actor for the ultimate success of these interventions. The development of substances which enhance endothelial cell growth and accelerate th eir proliferation is therefore of great interest in such. situations. In the present work naftazone was shown to accelerate human saphenous vein endothelial cell proliferation in vitro at concentrations which d id not alter the hemostatic balance, resulting in a cell. density at c onfluence 20% higher than in controls. This compound was able to parti ally substitute for serum requirements and further displayed additive effects in the presence of fibroblast growth factors. Thus naftazone, an original synthetic molecule distinct from growth factor peptides, i s a promising candidate drug for the amelioration of vascular repair.