title: The arterial wall: a new pharmacological and therapeutic target.
abstract: In recent years, two key concepts having numerous interrelationships were advanced for the understanding of various cardiovascular diseases: the "endothelial dysfunction" and the "arterial remodelling". Both endothelial dysfunction and arterial remodelling occur in various pathologies including essential hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerosis, restenosis after angioplasty, and pulmonary hypertension, and have modified the therapeutic approach by offering new pharmacological targets: specific receptors not only at the site of the vascular smooth muscle cells but also on the endothelial cells, growth factors that stimulate proliferation of smooth muscle, and receptors and enzymes of the extra-cellular matrix. Among the various substances under research, the present review will discuss angiotensin II receptor antagonists, endothelin receptor antagonists, nitrates-NO donors, potassium channel activators, and substances interfering with proteoglycans and other components of the extra-cellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Broussais University Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cavero
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Chabrier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dupuis
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Elghozi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janiak
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Juillet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Madonna
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Maffrand
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pruneau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thuillez
mesh_terms: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D001158:Arteries / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D065128:Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D065128:Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin