title: Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells in vascular remodelling and atherosclerotic plaque rupture.
abstract: Apoptosis (programmed cell death) of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has recently been identified as an important process in a variety of human vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, arterial injury, and restenosis after angioplasty. VSMC apoptosis is regulated by interactions between the local cell-cell and cytokine environment within the arterial wall, and the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins by the cell, including death receptors, proto-oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. This review summarises our current knowledge of the occurrence and mechanisms underlying VSMC apoptosis in atherosclerosis and arterial remodelling.
authors.affiliation: British Heart Foundation Sr. Fellow, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Department of Medicine, Cambridge, UK. mrb@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases