Effect of vitamin E and allylamine on the proliferation of cultured aorticsmooth muscle cells from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

To investigate the effect of vitamin E on the proliferation activity of vas cular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in diabetes mellitus, [H-3]-thymidine inco rporation was measured in cultured SMCs isolated from normal and streptozot ocin-induced diabetic rats treated with or without vitamin E and/or allylam ine. Untreated diabetic rats demonstrated significantly elevated concentrat ions of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and malondialdehyde (MDA). A llylamine caused a further increase in serum MDA. Treatment with vitamin E decreased the serum concentrations of triglycerides and MDA in both allylam ine-treated and -untreated diabetic rats. [H-3]-Thymidine incorporation in cultured SMCs from diabetic rats was significantly increased compared with that from normal rats. SMCs from allylamine-treated diabetic rats showed an enhanced increase in thymidine incorporation compared with that from untre ated diabetic rats. The increase in thymidine incorporation in SMCs from un treated and allylamine-treated diabetic rats was significantly reduced by t he treatment with vitamin E. These observations suggest that vitamin E has a preventive effect on the proliferation of vascular SMCs in diabetes, and that this effect may be mediated through an enhancement of free radical sca venging.