title: Innervation of the arterial wall and its modification in atherosclerosis.
abstract: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays an essential role in the regulation of vascular tone. Sympathetic neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine are released from the terminals of perivascular nerves and suppress endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO), an important vasodilator. Sympathetic nerves also release neuropeptide Y, a co-transmitter that stimulates vasoconstriction and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Parasympathetic nerves release acetylcholine, which leads to vascular contraction when NO production is inhibited. The ANS produces a variety of other vasoactive substances including ATP, calcitonin gene-related peptide, dopamine, and serotonin. On the other hand, the vascular system can reciprocally influence ANS activity through the release of NO, reactive oxygen species (ROS), angiotensin II, and other mechanisms. In pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis, hyperactivation of sympathetic neural activity has pro-atherogenic effects on the vascular function by increasing vasoconstriction, accumulation of modified lipoproteins in the vascular wall, induction of endothelial dysfunction, and stimulation of oxidative stress and vascular remodeling. Indeed, suppression of the sympathetic ANS should be beneficial for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Children's Health, 119991 Moscow, Russia; The Mount Sinai Community Clinical Oncology Program, Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA.
authors.forename: Dmitry A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chistiakov
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Kenneth W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ashwell
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Angiopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 125315 Russia; Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Skolkovo Innovative Center, Moscow, Russia; Department of Biophysics, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Orekhov
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Laboratory of Angiopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 125315 Russia; School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia. Electronic address: y.bobryshev@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Yuri V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Bobryshev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans
keywords: Arterial wall; Atherogenesis; Atherosclerosis; Autonomic nervous system; Innervation