Human smooth muscle cells of the aorta and vena cava: different sensitivity to the inhibition of proliferation by heparin in vitro.

In this comparative study of the antiproliferative effect of heparin (average mol. weight 16 kD) a different heparin sensitivity between cultivated smooth muscle cells derived from the media of the human aorta and the vena cava is observed. Heparin induces a partial proliferation inhibition of 54% in the aortic- and 17% in the vena cava-derived smooth muscle cells on day seven. The increase in cell volume suggests a selection of larger volume subpopulation of cells or an influence on the G2-phase of the cell cycle. Heparin and heparin-like compounds may develop into future therapeutic drugs for the prevention of increased smooth muscle cell proliferation after vessel wall injury.