Influence of Losartan, an angiotensin receptor antagonist, on neointimal proliferation in cultured human saphenous vein

An organ culture of human saphenous vein was used as a model of vein graft intimal hyperplasia and the potential of Losartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, to inhibit neointimal proliferation was investigated. Median (range) neointimal thickness was reduced from 17 (16-19) to 11 (8-18) microns in veins cultured with Losartan (median difference 5 (95 per cent confidence interval 2-8) microns). A similar decrease in the median neointimal proliferation index was seen from 21 (range 14-47) to 15 (range 5-31) per cent (median difference 8 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 5-11 per cent)). These results demonstrate that angiotensin II receptor antagonists may be of therapeutic value for the modulation of vein graft intimal hyperplasia.