PDGF receptor protein tyrosine kinase expression in the balloon-injured rat carotid artery.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor gene expression has previously been demonstrated in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries to be regulated during repair of carotid injury. In the present study we showed that PDGF receptor protein expression and phosphorylation are changed over time after carotid artery injury. In control and 2-day-postinjury vessels, expression of PDGF alpha receptor protein was readily detectable, whereas PDGF beta receptor expression appeared very low. Between 2 and 7 days postinjury, a time interval previously shown to correspond with smooth muscle cell migration followed by the appearance of a neointima, PDGF alpha receptor expression had increased only slightly, to roughly 35% above control levels, and was maximal by day 7 postinjury, whereas PDGF beta receptor expression had doubled. From 7 to 14 days after carotid injury, intimal area was greatly increased and was associated with a further increase in PDGF beta receptor protein expression and receptor phosphorylation to a maximum between days 10 and 12. In contrast, PDGF alpha receptor expression had decreased slightly during this time interval. Moreover, phosphorylation of PDGF alpha receptors was barely detectable and did not change over the time course of injury. From 14 to 28 days after injury, intimal area was increased only slightly, whereas PDGF beta receptor protein and phosphorylation levels had diminished to roughly half of the 10-day injury values. In addition, the increase in PDGF beta receptor protein expression and tyrosine phosphorylation observed over the time of injury were also associated with a corresponding increase in the association of phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI-3 kinase) with phosphorylated PDGF beta receptors. These findings show that balloon injury to rat carotid arteries results in temporally related changes in the expression of PDGF receptors and their state of tyrosine phosphorylation. Furthermore, tyrosine phosphorylation of PDGF beta receptors in the balloon-injured rat carotid artery in vivo resulted in the association of PI-3 kinase. These are important new findings, which add to our knowledge concerning the role and activity of PDGF receptors in the formation of a neointima.