title: Endothelium-dependent vascular responses: effect of hypertension and cyclosporin A.
abstract: Through the release of endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors, the endothelium can profoundly affect local vascular tone. In hypertension and during chronic cyclosporin A therapy, morphological changes of the endothelium develop. Recent studies in isolated arteries have demonstrated that endothelium-dependent relaxations induced by a variety of substances are decreased in acute and chronic hypertension and during cyclosporin A therapy. A reduced vascular smooth muscle responsiveness to endothelium-derived relaxing factor, the release of a cyclooxygenase-dependent endothelium-derived contracting factor in some animal models of hypertension, and possibly a decreased release of EDRF under some conditions may contribute to these functional alterations. In hypertension and during cyclosporin. A therapy, functional changes of the endothelium may contribute to increased peripheral vascular resistance and to vascular damage occurring under these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Cardiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diederich
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Bühler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D009569:Nitric Oxide