Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Insights into human hypertension: the role of endothelial dysfunction

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 725–726 (2006)Cite this article

Atherosclerosis is considered an ubiquitous pathological process. In patients symptomatic for coronary artery or carotid or peripheral arterial disease, other localizations – still asymptomatic – of atherosclerotic lesions are often found. Despite this consideration, the patterns of arteries developing atherosclerosis can be quite diverse: for example, lesions prevalently develop in regions where the flow is either low or turbulent such as where artery bifurcates, mammalian artery are nearly unaffected by atherosclerosis.1

So, what makes the difference? The answer probably lies in the marked phenotypic variation between endothelial cells in the different vascular locations, and in the different responses of the vascular layers to the same stimulus in the same individual, as well.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Glagov S, Zarins C, Giddens DP, Ku DN . Hemodynamics and atherosclerosis. Insights and perspectives gained from studies of human arteries. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1988; 112: 1018–1031, Review.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Chowdhary S, Townend JN . Nitric oxide and hypertension: not just an endothelium derived relaxing factor!. J Hum Hypertens 2001; 15 (4): 219–227.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Magen E, Viskoper JR, Mishal J, Priluk R, London D, Yosefy C . Effects of low-dose aspirin on blood pressure and endothelial function of treated hypertensive hypercholesterolaemic subjects. J Hum Hypertens 200; 19 (9): 667–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Felmeden D, Nadar SK, Lip GY . Aspirin and endothelial function in hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2005; 19 (9): 663–665.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Mann GE, Yudilevich DL, Sobrevia L . Regulation of amino acid and glucose transporters in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Physiol Rev 2003; 83: 183–252.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Karter Y, Aydin S, Curgunlu A, Uzun H, Erturk N, Vehid S et al. Endothelium and angiogenesis in white coat hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2004; 18 (11): 809–814.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Varughese GI, Lip GY . Hypertension in patients with type-II diabetes: relation to urinary albumin excretion, endothelial function and inflammation. J Hum Hypertens 2005; 19 (6): 421–424.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Czarnecka D, Kawecka-Jaszcz K, Stolarz K, Olszanecka A, Dembinska-Kiec A, Kiec-Wilk B . Ambulatory blood pressure, left ventricular mass and vascular phenotypes in relation to the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene Glu298Asp and intron 4 polymorphisms in a population-based family study. J Hum Hypertens 2005; 19 (5): 413–420.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Schram MT, van Ittersum FJ, Spoelstra-de Man A, van Dijk RA, Schalkwijk CG, Ijzerman RG et al. Aggressive antihypertensive therapy based on hydrochlorothiazide, candesartan or lisinopril as initial choice in hypertensive type II diabetic individuals: effects on albumin excretion, endothelial function and inflammation in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. J Hum Hypertens 2005; 19 (6): 429–437.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Medzhitov R . Toll-like receptors and innate immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2001; 1: 135–145.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bautista LE . Inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and the risk of high blood pressure: epidemiologic and biological evidence. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17 (4): 223–230.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Srivastava K, Narang R . Nitric oxide and cell adhesion molecules in Essential Hypertension, a case control study. J Hum Hypertens, in press.

  13. Coban E, Timuragaoglu A, Ozdogan M . Edothelial dysfunction in patients with white coat hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2004; 18 (1): 71–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Neutel JM . Effect of the rennin–angiotensin system on the vessel wall: using ACE inhibition to improve endothelial function. J Hum Hypertens 2004; 18 (9): 599–606.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Tousoulis D, Charakida M, Stefanadis C . Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction as therapeutic targets in patients with heart failure. Int J Cardiol 2005; 100: 347–353.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Yamawaki H, Pan S, Lee RT, Berk BC . Fluid shear stress inhibits vascular inflammation by decreasing thioredoxin-interacting protein in endothelial cells. J Clin Invest 2005; 115: 733–738.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Williams B, Poulter NR, Brown MJ, Davis M, McInnes GT, Potter JF et al. British Hypertension Society. Guidelines for management of hypertension: report of the fourth working party of the British Hypertension Society, 2004-BHS IV. J Hum Hypertens 2004; 18 (3): 139–185.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. He FJ, MacGregor GA . Cost of poor pressure control in the UK: 62000 unnecessary deaths per year. J Human Hypertens 2003; 17: 455–457.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Morphological and Technological Sciences, UCO Clinica Medica, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

    C Giansante & N Fiotti

Authors
  1. C Giansante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N Fiotti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C Giansante.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Giansante, C., Fiotti, N. Insights into human hypertension: the role of endothelial dysfunction. J Hum Hypertens 20, 725–726 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001951

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001951

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links