Vitamins C and E Alter the Response to Coronary Balloon Injury in the Pig

Endothelial Dysfunction and Collagen Accumulation

“…Oxidative stress, which is increased in ballooned vessels until 2 weeks after injury, may contribute to endothelial dysfunction by enhancing the breakdown of NO. [21][22][23] Indeed, prevention of oxidative stress has been shown to prevent restenosis in various animal models 24,25 and recently in humans. 26 Using intravascular ultrasound in humans, Cote et al 26 demonstrated that the beneficial effect of antioxidants on restenosis was related to enlargement remodeling.…”

Differences in compensatory vessel enlargement, not intimal formation, account for restenosis after angioplasty in the hypercholesterolemic rabbit model.

“…Preliminary data using vitamins C and E in the swine balloon injury model suggest that altering vascular remodeling is a possible therapeutic target. 44 …”

Effect of alpha-tocopherol on restenosis after angioplasty in a model of experimental atherosclerosis.

“…Butylated hydroxytoluene inhibited the response to arterial injury in hypercholesterolemic rabbits (48). Of interest, a combination of vitamins C and E was recently found to improve the response of pig coronary arteries to balloon injury compared with arteries of untreated animals, but the improvement was attributable to increased vessel size rather than decreased intimal area (49). It is too early to state definitively whether oxidant-induced proliferation contributes to restenosis, but the beneficial effects of pharmacological doses of vitamin E in the current study suggest that this natural antioxidant should be tested further for effectiveness in other animal models.…”