L-arginine prevents heart transplant arteriosclerosis by modulating the vascular cell proliferative response to insulin-like growth factor-I and interleukin-6.

Abstract

Dietary L-arginine attenuates transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo without affecting rejection. The protective effect seen in these experiments may relate to the generation of sufficient nitric oxide to prevent smooth muscle cell response to mitogens like insulin-like growth factor-I and interleukin-6.