Abstract:Objective: To investigate the effects of valsartan(angiotensin Ⅱtype 1 receptor antagonists) on neointimal proliferation and expression of PCNA after balloon angioplasty in rabbits. Methods:Twenty-four male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: control group(fed up with common diet), model group and valsartan group(fed up with hypercholesterolemic diet for 4 weeks, then undergoing balloon angioplasty). Four weeks after balloon angioplasty operation, model group was fed up with common diet, whereas valsartan group was fed up with the mixture of valsartan[10 mg/(kg ·d)] and common diet. The rabbits were killed at the end of the 12th week, The abdominal aorta was examined with pathologic and morphologic analysis, and the expression of PCNA was analyzed with immunohistochemical method. Results:Compared with model group, the neointimal thickness and area were decreased by 56.58% and 66.81% in valsartan group. The expression of PCNA was significantly lower in valsartan group(P < 0.01). Conclusion:Valsartan could inhibit neointimal proliferation of rabbits’ abdominal aorta after balloon injury, the mechanism might be correlated with the decreased level of PCNA in vascular smooth muscle cells, and the inhibited proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.