The fatter the better? Perivascular adipose tissue attenuates vascular contraction through different mechanisms.
Adipose tissue releases several hormones and autacoids and expansion of the adipose tissue and excessive obesity is a risk factor for hypertension. Perivascular adipose tissue, on the other hand, has been reported to lower the vascular tone through the release of a transferable, thermosensitive, non-lipid factor. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, Gao et al. (2007) report that a factor generated by the adipose tissue also stimulates the generation of NO by endothelium and that NO is the predominant mediator of adipose tissue-induced relaxation in endothelium-intact vessels.
Brandes
R P
RP
Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Physiologie, Fachbereich Medizin der J.W. Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. r.brandes@em.uni-frankfurt.de
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D010656:Phenylephrine