S. Inoue et al., EXPRESSION OF FOLLISTATIN, AN ACTIVIN-BINDING PROTEIN, IN VASCULAR SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS AND ARTERIOSCLEROTIC LESIONS, Arteriosclerosis and thrombosis, 13(12), 1993, pp. 1859-1864
Activin-A has a mitogenic effect on vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs
) and is produced by monocyte/macrophage lineage cells. Here, we studi
ed the expression of follistatin, an activin-binding protein, in both
A10 cells, a rat aortic SMC line, and vascular SMCs derived from adult
rat aorta. Follistatin mRNA was detected in these cells by Northern b
lot analysis. Ligand blot and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that fo
llistatin was produced in the conditioned medium at a higher level by
A10 cells than by SMCs. Furthermore, immunostaining and in situ hybrid
ization of the arteriosclerotic lesions showed that follistatin was hi
ghly expressed in the diseased artery, where abnormal proliferation of
SMCs occurred. We suggest that follistatin is produced by vascular SM
Cs and is involved in the course of atherogenesis.