Tranilast suppresses intimal hyperplasia after photochemically induced endothelial injury in the rat

Intimal thickening in the femoral artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was initiated by endothelial damage induced by the photochemical reaction between green light and systemic rose bengal. This model represents a non-mechanical method of producing vessel wall denudation. Neointima formation was assessed by calculating the cross-sectional area of intima, media and lumen, using computer analysis. Tranilast (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.), administered 2 days prior to endothelial injury, reduced intimal area by 29, 62 and 87%, respectively, compared to that of vehicle-treated controls. In cultured SHR-derived vascular smooth muscle cells, tranilast produced concentration-dependent inhibition of mitogenesis, whether stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor or fetal bovine serum. These results suggest that tranilast may be effective in preventing coronary restenosis.