Endothelium-driven myocardial growth or nitric oxide at the crossroads

Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2008 Nov;18(8):299-305. doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2009.01.002.

Abstract

Endothelium lining the coronary vasculature and the heart chambers is a dynamic sensor that serves a variety of functions including bidirectional communications with cardiac myocytes. Among endothelium-released factors, nitric oxide exerts multifactorial effects on various cell types in the heart and may play a role in growth of the vasculature and myocardial hypertrophy. This review summarizes new data regarding the endothelium-to-myocyte signaling focusing on its role in regulation of cardiac hypertrophy through a nitric-oxide-mediated paracrine signal.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Coagulation Factors / metabolism
  • Cardiomegaly / metabolism*
  • Coronary Circulation*
  • Endothelins / metabolism
  • Endothelium, Vascular / metabolism*
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Ion Channel Gating
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / metabolism
  • Paracrine Communication
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / metabolism
  • Prostaglandins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Blood Coagulation Factors
  • Endothelins
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
  • Prostaglandins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III