Increased SMC proliferation after endothelial injury in hyperinsulinemic obese Zucker rats

Obese Zucker rat model helps examine the long-term effect of hyperinsulinemia on the migration and proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC) induced by arterial injury with a balloon catheter. Long-lasting hyperinsulinemia induces SMC proliferation after diendothelialization, leading to higher aortic thickening in obese rats than that in lean rats. Biochemical techniques facilitate the quantitative determination of SMC proliferation within the intima-media and histological morphometric measurements help differentiate the modifications in intimal and medial cross-sectional areas and also in the number of nuclei.