Inhibitory effect of antisense basic fibroblast growth factor oligonucleotides on proliferation of cultured aortic smooth muscle cells induced by angiotensin II in SHR rats

AIM: To study the effect of antisense basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) oligonucleotides (ODN) transfection on the growth of cultured aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Using cationic liposome-mediated method, antisense bFGF ODN were introduced into SMC, bFGF gene expression was detected by Northern blotting, cell hyperplasia was evaluated by [³H ] thymidine incorporation and cell counting. RESULTS: Transfection of antisense bFGF ODN (5 μmol · L^-1) almost completely inhibited enhanced bFGF mRNA expression and inhibited cell proliferation induced by angiotensin II (Ang 1 μmol · L^-1). In basal state and Ang-stimulated state, [³H]thymidine incorporation was inhibited by 26.5 % (P<0.01) and 42.0 % (P<0.01) and cell number was inhibited by 17.3 % (P<0.01) and by 22.2 % (P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: The transfection of antisense bFGF ODN into cultured SMC effectively suppressed bFGF mRNA expression and inhibited the SMC proliferation induced by Ang.