Background: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) expression in the vascular wall has been related to the development of atherosclerotic lesions and restenosis. TSP-1 promotes the development of neointima and has recently been associated with atherogenesis at a genetic level. Because TSP-1 expression is responsive to glucose stimulation in mesangial cells, we hypothesized that glucose may stimulate its production by vascular cells. Thus, TSP-1 expression in the blood vessel wall may increase, providing a molecular link between diabetes and accelerated vascular lesion development.
Methods and results: To determine whether the expression level of TSP-1 in vessel wall is increased in diabetes, aorta and carotid arteries of Zucker rats were used for immunostaining, Western blotting, and in situ RNA hybridization. A significant increase in TSP-1 expression was found in the adventitia of blood vessels from diabetic rats. Consistent with the well-known antiangiogenic effect of TSP-1, the number of vasa vasorum was reduced in aortas from diabetic rats. In cultured endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts, TSP-1 expression increased in response to glucose stimulation (>30-fold). After balloon catheter injury to carotid arteries, expression of TSP-1 protein and mRNA was higher at all time points in the vessels of diabetic rats.
Conclusions: Increased expression of TSP-1 in blood vessels in diabetes may represent a new link between diabetes, atherogenesis, and accelerated restenosis. This increase in TSP-1 production may be a direct response of vascular cells to glucose.