THE IMMEDIATE-EARLY GENE OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS STIMULATES VASCULARSMOOTH-MUSCLE CELL-PROLIFERATION IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been carefully studied regarding t he relationship with the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferat ion in either atherosclerosis or post-angioplasty restenosis, but its role in the vessel wall has yet to be elucidated. To clarify the patho genic ability of CMV in the vessel wall, we transduced the immediate e arly (IE) gene of CMV into the VSMCs and endothelial cells (ECs) by he magglutinating virus of Japan-liposome method. The in vitro IE gene tr ansfer demonstrated that the conditioned medium of IE gene transferred ECs enhanced [H-3]-thymidine uptake of VSMCs. The enhanced proliferat ion of the IE gene transferred VSMCs was observed after the stimulatio n by basic fibroblast growth factor. The in vivo IE gene transfer show ed neointimal thickening while the control arteries did not. These fin dings thus suggest that the expression of CMV-IE gene in the vessel wa ll may play a role in the fibrocellular neointimal formation or progre ssion of atherosclerosis in vivo. (C) 1997 Academic Press.