Influence of antioxidant effect of valsartan on vascular remodeling in mice with vascular injury

LIU Shao-kui; WANG Xiao-mei; CHEN Shi-yi; HONG Jun; MU Xin; WANG Cui-rong; ZHAO Yue-chao

doi:10.3969/j.1674-4055.2013.05.26

Abstract：Objective To investigate the influence of valsartan on vascular remodeling in mice with vascular injury and the mechanism. Methods The model of vascular injury was established by applying polyethylene tubes wrapping around femoral artery in male C57BL/6 mice (n=160), and then the mice were randomly divided into normal group, sham-operation group operation group and valsartan group (with valsartan treatment), each n=40. After modeling for 14 days, the femoral artery with tube wrapping was collected for observing the changes of vascular morphology and intimal and medial areas of arteries were detected. The levels of p22phox, p47phox and rac-1 mRNA [subunits of NAD (P) H oxidase] were detected by applying reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and content of O2-in femoral artery was determined by using lucigenin chemiluminescence. Results There was no medial thickening observed in all groups and intimal thickening observed only in operation group and valsartan group. Compared with normal group and sham-operation group, intimal area increased in operation group [(370.00±2.50) μm2] and valsartan group [(160.11±2.41) μm2] but there was no significant difference between these two groups (P>0.05). Compared with normal group and sham-operation group, the levels of p22phox, p47phox and rac-1 mRNA increased in operation group and valsartan group. Compared with operation group, the levels of p22phox [(0.530±0.038) vs. (0.885±0.030)], p47phox [(0.525±0.035) vs. (0.745±0.032)] and rac-1 mRNA [(0.435±0.037) vs. (0.910±0.015)] decreased in valsartan group (P<0.05). The expression of O2-increased significantly in valsartan group and operation group, and the expressions of p22pho (r=0.994), p47phox (r=0.985) and rac-1 (r=0.990) were positively correlated to O2-content. Conclusion The short-term administration of valsartan can inhibit the thickening of vascular intima and reverse vascular remodeling, and the mechanism may be related to the antioxidant stress effect of valsartan.