Intramural delivery of nitric oxide enhancer for inhibiting lesion formation after vascular injury

In a method to perform angioplasty or atherectomy comprising introducing a balloon catheter into a vascular vessel proximal to a lesion site, inflating the balloon to expand the vessel proximal to said lesion site, deflating said balloon and removing said balloon catheter from said vascular vessel, the improvement which comprises:

• introducing intramurally into the vascular vessel by means of said balloon catheter at least one of L-arginine or L-lysine for at least 5 minutes and not more than 15 minutes and at a rate of from about 0.05-5 ml/min of an aqueous solution of a concentration in the range of about 20-500 g/l, in an amount to increase the amount of nitric oxide formation of the cells proximal to said lesion site, prior to removal of said balloon catheter from said vascular vessel, whereby a reduced incidence of restenosis occurs.