Sera from Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic and healthy subjects contain different amounts of a very low molecular weight growth peptide for vascular cells

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Abstract
Diabetic angiopathy may be due, in part, to increased growth in vascular cells. We have investigated serum growth factors in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic and healthy subjects and their effect on cultured human arterial smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. Removal of the dialyzable serum fraction (mol. wt. ppp<0.01). The growth stimulating potency of this serum fraction (mol. wt. <3,500) contained in 10% diabetic sera, was two to ten times higher than that of human growth hormone or insulin, added in amounts equivalent to 10% or physiological serum concentrations. This diabetic serum growth factor was further characterized by: (1) linear dependence of growth stimulation over a concentration range of twenty times and by (2) reduction of the growth stimulating activity to control levels by pretreatment: (a) at 95 °C for 30 min, or (b) with two different proteases: Serva pronase E (Streptomyceus griseus) or Calbiochem protease (Subtilisin calsberg). Increased amounts of the very low molecular weight serum growth peptide in Type 2 diabetes might easily penetrate the arterial wall, thus contributing to the genesis of angiopathy.