Endothelial dysfunction in hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize how abnormal release of relaxing and contracting factors from endothelial cells contribute to the vascular abnormalities in hypertension. ENDOTHELIUM-DERIVED FACTORS: The endothelium controls the tone of the underlying vascular smooth muscle by releasing relaxing and contracting factors. The former include prostacyclin, nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), and the latter endoperoxides, thromboxane A2, superoxide anions and endothelin.


RESULTS
In most types of hypertension, endothelium-dependent relaxations are curtailed, because of a reduced production and/or action of endothelium-derived NO and EDHF. In essential hypertension, endothelium-dependent relaxations are reduced also because of the endothelium-dependent production of vasoconstrictor prostanoids (endoperoxides and, in some cases, thromboxane A2).
The endothelial dysfunction observed in hypertensive blood vessels is likely to be a consequence rather than a cause of the disease process.


CONCLUSIONS
Enhanced release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (NO and EDHF) help to explain the therapeutic effects of inhibitors of converting enzyme.
Vanhoutte
P M
PM
Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier (IRIS), Courbevoie, France.
D000818:Animals; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology