Regulation of smooth muscle cell growth by endothelium-derived factors

The endothelium is a source of molecules that either stimulate or inhibit the proliferation of the underlying smooth muscle cells. In the normal, healthy vessel wall the smooth muscle cells are quiescent, but they proliferate when damage to the endothelium occurs. The implication of such observations is that although the endothelium provides a source of growth factors, their stimulatory activity on smooth muscle cells is countered by endothelium-derived growth inhibitors. The inhibitors appear to comprise at least 3 distinct types of molecules: heparin/heparan sulfate; transforming growth factor beta; and nitric oxide. Each molecule inhibits growth of cultured smooth muscle cells by mechanisms that remain to be elucidated and are discussed in this communication. Heparin/heparan sulfate is the most thoroughly characterized of the 3, and has been used for clinical intervention to prevent restenosis. Transforming growth factor beta exhibits bimodal activity on growth, acting as a stimulant at low levels and as an inhibitor at elevated concentrations. Nitric oxide mediated vasorelaxation is dependent upon activation of soluble guanylate cyclase. Because elevation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate in smooth muscle cells depresses their proliferation, nitric oxide would appear to possess the properties necessary to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.