Acyclic Retinoid Inhibits Neointima Formation Through Retinoic Acid Receptor Beta-Induced Apoptosis

Objectives— Acyclic retinoid( ACR) is a synthetic retinoidwith a high safety profile that has been pursued with high expectations for therapeutic use in prevention (recurrence) and treatment of malignancies. With the objective of addressing the therapeutic potential in the cardiovasculature, namely neointimaformation, effects of ACRon neointimaformation and the involved mechanisms were investigated. Methods and Results— ACRwas administered to cuff-injured mice which showed inhibition of neointimaformation. Investigation of involved mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels showed that ACRinduces apoptosis of neointimal cells and this to be mediated by selective induction of retinoic-acid receptorβ (RARβ) which shows growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects on smooth muscle cells. Conclusion— We show that ACRinhibits neointimaformation by inducing RARβ which in turn inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis. The retinoid, ACR, may be potentially exploitable for treatment and prevention o...