DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is based on the discovery that, unlike other cell types, vascular smooth muscle cells which contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis are induced to undergo apoptosis upon exposure to antioxidants.
Accordingly, the invention features a method of inhibiting arteriosclerosis in an animal by identifying an animal, e.
g.
, a human patient, having an artery suspected of needing such inhibition, and contacting the artery with an apoptosis-inducing amount of an antioxidant or mixture of antioxidants.
The antioxidant preferably contains a sulfur atom, e.
g.
, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, glutathione, S-adenosylmethionine, dithiocarbamate, propylthiouracil, dimethylsulfoxide, cysteine, methionine, cysteamine, oxothiazolidine-carboxylate, timonacic acid, WR-2721, malotilate, 1,2-dithiol 3-thione, 1,3-dithiol 2-thione, lipoamide, sulfarlem, and oltipraz.
More preferably, the sulfur is part of a sulfhydryl group; most preferably the antioxidant is N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC).
Preferably, the antioxidant induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells, but does not induce apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells.
The invention also includes a method of inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, e.
g.
, proliferation which may occur at the site of a vascular injury in an animal, by identifying an animal in need of such inhibition, and introducing an antioxidant into a blood vessel of the animal.
Preferably the animal is a vertebrate, more preferably a mammal, and most preferably a human patient.
Smooth muscle cell proliferation in response to a vascular injury may occur as a consequence of balloon angioplasty, laser angioplasty, coronary artery surgery, atherectomy or coronary artery stent insertion.
The antioxidant may be administered to the site of vascular injury or potential vascular injury systemically, e.
g.
, by intravascular injection or oral delivery, or locally, e.
g.
, during the invasive procedure.
One means for accomplishing local delivery would be by providing the antioxidant on a surface of the vascular catheter, e
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Vasodialators 
