title: Vascular signaling through cholesterol-rich domains: implications in hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lipid rafts are emerging as key players in the integration of cellular responses. Alterations in these highly regulated signaling cascades are important in structural, mechanical and functional abnormalities that underlie vascular pathological processes. The present review focuses on recent advances in signal transduction through caveolae/lipid rafts, implicated in hypertensive processes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caveolae/lipid rafts function as sites of dynamic regulatory events in receptor-induced signal transduction. Mediators of vascular function, including G-protein coupled receptors, Src family tyrosine kinases, receptor tyrosine kinases, protein phosphatases and nitric oxide synthase, are concentrated within these microdomains. The assembly of functionally active nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and subsequent reactive oxygen species production are also dependent on interactions within the caveolae/lipid rafts. Recent findings have also demonstrated the importance of actin-cytoskeleton and focal adhesion sites for protein interactions with caveolae/lipid raft.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many vascular signaling processes are altered in hypertension. Whether these events involve lipid rafts/caveolae remains unclear. A better understanding of how signaling molecules compartmentalize in lipid rafts/caveolae will provide further insights into molecular mechanisms underlying vascular damage in cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Kidney Research Centre, Ottawa Health Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. gcallera@uottawa.ca
authors.forename: Glaucia E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Callera
authors.forename: Augusto Ci
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Montezano
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yogi
authors.forename: Rita Ca
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tostes
authors.forename: Rhian M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Touyz
mesh_terms: D021941:Caveolae / Q000502:physiology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013481:Superoxides; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019061:src-Family Kinases; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases