Vascular Remodeling in Hypertension

Integrins, vascular remodeling, and hypertension.

At the level of the resistance artery, hypertension also brings about a thickening of the vascular wall and inward encroachment on the lumen. This has been reported as being attributable to hypertrophy or hyperplasia of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), but studies have appeared suggesting that growth is not apparent in arteries at this level of the circulation.1 In addition, detailed struc...

Control Vascular Remodeling in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension

Pathophysiology of Vascular Remodeling in Hypertension

Vascular remodeling refers to alterations in the structure of resistance vessels contributing to elevated systemic vascular resistance in hypertension. We start with some historical aspects, underscoring the importance of Glagov's contribution. We then move to some basic concepts on the biomechanics of blood vessels and explain the definitions proposed by Mulvany for specific forms of remodelin...

Oxidative Stress, Vascular Remodeling, and Vascular Inflammation in Hypertension

Hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide, affecting over 50 million individuals in the United States alone. The modern history of hypertension begins with the understanding of the cardiovascular system with the work of the physician William Harvey (1578–1657), who described the circulation of blood in his book De Motu Cordis. The English clergyman Stephen Hales made the first pub...

Metalloproteinases, Mechanical Factors and Vascular Remodeling

Chronic increases in arterial blood flow elicit an adaptive response of the arterial wall, leading to vessel enlargement and reduction in wall shear stress to physiological baseline value. Release of nitric oxide from endothelial cells exposed to excessive shear is a fundamental step in the remodeling process, and potentially triggers a cascade of events, including growth factor induction and m...