MINIREVIEW
Age-Related Endothelial Dysfunction with Respect to Nitric
Oxide, Endothelium-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor and
Cyclooxygenase Products
R. L. Matz, C. Schott, J.
C. Stoclet, R. Andriantsitohaina
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et Physico-Chimie des
Interactions Cellulaires et Moléculaires, UMR CNRS 7034,
Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg,
Illkirch, France
Received July
30, 1999
Accepted September 21, 1999
Summary
Vascular aging is associated with both structural and functional
changes that can take place at the level of the endothelium,
vascular smooth muscle cells and the extracellular matrix of
blood vessels. With regard to the endothelium, reduced
vasodilatation in response to agonists occurs in large conduit
arteries as well as in resistance arteries with aging. Reviews
concerning the different hypotheses that may account for this
endothelial dysfunction have pointed out alterations in the
equilibrium between endothelium-derived relaxing and
constricting factors. Thus, a decreased vasorelaxation due to
nitric oxide and, in some arteries, endothelium-derived
hyperpolarizing factor as well as an increased vasoconstriction
mediated by cyclooxygenase products such as thromboxane A2 are
likely to occur in age-induced impairment of endothelial
vasodilatation. Furthermore, enhanced oxidative stress plays a
critical role in the deleterious effect of aging on the
endothelium by means of nitric oxide breakdown due to reactive
oxygen species. The relative contribution of the above
phenomenon in age-related endothelial dysfunction is highly
dependent on the species and type of vascular bed.
Key
words
Vascular aging · Endothelial dysfunction · NO · EDHF · Cyclooxygenase
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R. Andriantsitohaina, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et Physico-Chimie des Interactions Cellulaires et Moléculaires, UMR CNRS 7034, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Louis
Pasteur, 74, route du Rhin, B.P. 24, 67401 Illkirch, France. Fax : (33) 3 88 66 46 33;
E-mail : nain@pharma.u-strasbg.fr
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