title: Role of vascular smooth muscle cell in the inflammation of atherosclerosis.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is a pathologic process occurring within the artery, in which many cell types, including T cell, macrophages, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, interact, and cause chronic inflammation, in response to various inner- or outer-cellular stimuli. Atherosclerosis is characterized by a complex interaction of inflammation, lipid deposition, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial dysfunction, and extracellular matrix remodeling, which will result in the formation of an intimal plaque. Although the regulation and function of vascular smooth muscle cells are important in the progression of atherosclerosis, the roles of smooth muscle cells in regulating vascular inflammation are rarely focused upon, compared to those of endothelial cells or inflammatory cells. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss here how smooth muscle cells contribute or regulate the inflammatory reaction in the progression of atherosclerosis, especially in the context of the activation of various membrane receptors, and how they may regulate vascular inflammation.
authors.forename: Soyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Severance Integrative Research Institute for Cerebral & Cardiovascular Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Division of Cardiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea shpark0530@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Sungha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface