title: Role of endothelin in the cardiovascular system.
abstract: The endothelin (ET) system consists of three peptide ligands (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) and two G-protein-coupled receptors, ET(A) and ET(B). In the cardiovascular system, ETs, particularly ET-1, are expressed in smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and notably in vascular endothelial cells. Intense research over the last 10 years has changed the original view of ET-1 as mainly a vasoconstrictor regulating blood pressure, into a biological factor regulating processes such as vascular remodeling, angiogenesis or extracellular matrix synthesis. The advent of specific (and type-selective) ET receptor antagonists has greatly fostered our knowledge of the biological function of ET-1, and has offered a potential therapeutic approach for numerous diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis or fibrosis. In this article, we review the regulation of the expression of vascular ET-1, as well as the contribution of ET-1 to endothelial, smooth muscle and fibroblast cell function, with particular interest in the role of ET-1 in the development of cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (C.S.I.C.)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (U.A.M.), Madrid, Spain. frodriguez@cbm.uam.es
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Pascual
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Busnadiego
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lagares
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamas
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D065128:Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; D016232:Endothelins / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D065128:Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; D016232:Endothelins; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin