GROWTH OF RABBIT AORTIC SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS IN SERUM FROM PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE DIABETES

Abstract

The effect of human diabetic serum on the growth of rabbit arterial smooth muscle cell cultures was studied in the stationary phase of growth. The serum was obtained from young, male, non-obese, juvenile diabetics and non-diabetics. The experiments were carried out using dialyzed and non-dialyzed serum. The concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides were equal in normal and diabetic serum. Media supplemented with diabetic serum from short and long term diabetics stimulated the outgrowth of the smooth muscle cells significantly (2 P < 0.01). A statistically significant stimulation of growth was also observed using dialyzed human diabetic serum (2 P < 0.05). Autoradiographic studies showed that the number of 3H-thymidine labeled cells and of cells in mitosis increased appreciably after incubation in diabetic human serum (2 P < 0.005). Human serum from juvenile diabetics contains a factor or factors which promote an excessive growth of arterial medial cells. The factor(s) is not lipids, since hyperlipemia was not present, nor is it glucose, amino acids, fructose or ketones, since the growth effect remained after dialysis. [Angiopathy and atherosclerosis are discussed.].