IMR Press / RCM / Volume 25 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2502072
Open Access Review
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vascular Remodeling in Hypertension
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1 Key Lab of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Lab of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 646000 Luzhou, Sichuan, China
*Correspondence: wyangyan@swmu.edu.cn (Yan Yang)
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024, 25(2), 72; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2502072
Submitted: 5 July 2023 | Revised: 15 September 2023 | Accepted: 25 October 2023 | Published: 20 February 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Hypertension, a common cardiovascular disease, is primarily characterized by vascular remodeling. Recent extensive research has led to significant progress in understanding its mechanisms. Traditionally, vascular remodeling has been described as a unidirectional process in which blood vessels undergo adaptive remodeling or maladaptive remodeling. Adaptive remodeling involves an increase in vessel diameter in response to increased blood flow, while maladaptive remodeling refers to the narrowing or thickening of blood vessels in response to pathological conditions. However, recent research has revealed that vascular remodeling is much more complex. It is now understood that vascular remodeling is a dynamic interplay between various cellular and molecular events. This interplay process involves different cell types, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and immune cells, as well as their interactions with the extracellular matrix. Through these interactions, blood vessels undergo intricate and dynamic changes in structure and function in response to various stimuli. Moreover, vascular remodeling involves various factors and mechanisms such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS), oxidative stress, inflammation, the extracellular matrix (ECM), sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and mechanical stress that impact the arterial wall. These factors may lead to vascular and circulatory system diseases and are primary causes of long-term increases in systemic vascular resistance in hypertensive patients. Additionally, the presence of stem cells in adventitia, media, and intima of blood vessels plays a crucial role in vascular remodeling and disease development. In the future, research will focus on examining the underlying mechanisms contributing to hypertensive vascular remodeling to develop potential solutions for hypertension treatment. This review provides us with a fresh perspective on hypertension and vascular remodeling, undoubtedly sparking further research efforts aimed at uncovering more potent treatments and enhanced preventive and control measures for this disease.

Keywords
hypertension
vascular remodeling
vascular extracellular matrix
renin-angiotensin system
ion channel
vascular resident stem cells
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Funding
31972909/National Natural Science Foundations of China
82070502/National Natural Science Foundations of China
32171099/National Natural Science Foundations of China
2022YFS0607/Sichuan Science and Technology Program
23NSFSC1456/Sichuan Science and Technology Program
2021YJ0213/Sichuan Science and Technology Program
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