title: [Recent trends in studies of the etiology of hypertension: Endothelium-derived factors].
abstract: Endothelial cells play diverse biological roles, such as maintaining vascular tone and structure. Recent progress in vascular biology has revealed that the endothelium releases a large number of vasoactive substances. These substances are divided into two classes: endothelium-derived relaxing factors(EDRFs), and endothelium-derived contracting factors(EDCFs). It has been shown that EDRFs such as nitric oxide(NO) protects vasculature from atherogenic insults, whereas EDCFs, such as endothelin, have opposite effects and participate in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. The exposure of coronary risk factors decreases the bioactivity of EDRFs and increases the release of EDCFs. Endothelial dysfunction caused by imbalance between EDRFs and EDCFs precedes and promotes atherosclerosis by several mechanisms, such as adhesion of monocytes and platelets, increase in vascular permeability, proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells. In this article, physiology and pathophysiology of these endothelium-derived substances will be reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Kurume University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D009569:Nitric Oxide