Effect of amlodipine on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effect of anti-hypertensive drug amlodipine on regression of cardiovascular hypertrophy due to hypertension was studied by using cultured smooth muscle cells derived from arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and measuring [3H]-TdR and [3H]-Leucine binding. 48 h after adding amlodipine, [3H]-TdR binding in arterial smooth muscle cells from SHR in vitro was reduced by 50.5% and [3H]-Leucine binding was reduced by 56.2% as compared with neuropeptide Y (NPY)-treated group. However, there was no significant change in cell number. The results showed that amlodipine could effectively inhibit increase of DNA and protein synthesis of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) due to NPY. It indicates that amlodipine is of great significance on regression of genesis and development of cardiovascular hypertrophy due to hypertension.