Pioglitazone Attenuates Injury-Induced Neointima Formation in Mouse Femoral Artery Partially through the Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase.

Background/aims: Pioglitazone (PIO), an antidiabetic drug, has been shown to attenuate vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, which is a major event in atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. Till date, the likely contributory role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) toward PIO inhibition of VSMC proliferation has not been examined in vivo. This study is aimed at determining whether pharmacological inhibition of AMPK would prevent the inhibitory effect of PIO on neointima formation in a mouse model of arterial injury.

Methods: Male CJ57BL/6J mice were subjected to femoral artery injury using guidewire. PIO (20 mg/kg/day) was administered orally 1 day before surgery and for 3 weeks until sacrifice in the absence or presence of compound C (an AMPK inhibitor). Injured femoral arteries were used for morphometric analysis of neointima formation. Aortic tissue lysates were used for immunoblot analysis of phosphorylated AMPK.

Results: PIO treatment resulted in a significant decrease in intima-to-media ratio by ∼50.3% (p < 0.05, compared with vehicle control; n = 6), which was accompanied by enhanced phosphorylation of AMPK by ∼85% in the vessel wall. Compound C treatment led to a marked reduction in PIO-mediated inhibition of neointima formation.

Conclusion: PIO attenuates injury-induced neointima formation, in part, through the activation of AMPK.