What is apoptosis and what is its relevance to vascular biology?
To maintain vascular mass and structure, an intricate balance must be maintained between apoptosis (programmed cell death) and cell proliferation. Apoptosis is thought to be regulated by a complex cascade of specific protease activations. Increased rates of apoptosis, which occur during limited time windows, have been implicated in animal models of hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. In these models, apoptosis was effectively upregulated by three of the four antihypertensive agents studied. Work to identify the gene that controls apoptosis is ongoing.
Hamet
P
P
Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. hamet@ere.umontreal.ca
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016923:Cell Death; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents