Reduced stimulatory activity on prostacyclin production by cultured endothelial cells in serum from aged and diabetic patients.

Reduced prostacyclin (PGI2) generation by the vascular wall shows a close relationship with the development of atherosclerosis. The present study found plasma-derived serum (PDS) to contain an activity which stimulated PGI2 production by cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. Diabetic and aged patients with atherosclerotic disease were examined for abnormalities in that stimulatory activity in PDS. PDS obtained from both diabetics (NIDDM) and aged patients showed a significant reduction in the stimulation of PGI2 production by cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells compared with age-matched controls and young healthy volunteers, respectively. It was suggested that the reduced PGI2 stimulatory activity in PDS may be one of the pathogenic mechanisms of vascular lesions such as atherosclerosis in diabetics and aged humans.