Mechanical forces are important modulators of cellular function in many tissues and are
particularly important in the cardiovascular system. The endothelium, by virtue of its unique …

Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) occurs in patients that clinically have both diastolic and
systolic heart failure and will soon become the most common cause of heart failure. Two key …

… has yet to be identified (MG Melaragno and BC Berk, unpublished data). In cultured VSMC,
… in the neointima at later times (Melaragno and Berk, unpublished observations; Ref.202). Axl …

Human apolipoprotein E has three isoforms: APOE2, APOE3 and APOE4 1 . APOE4 is a
major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease 2 , 3 and is associated with Down’s syndrome …

Unstable angina occurs most commonly in the setting of atherosclerotic coronary artery
disease (CAD), but there is little information concerning the mechanisms responsible for the …

THE peptide angiotensin II is the effector molecule of the renin-angiotensin system. All the
haemodynamic effects of angiotensin II, including vasoconstriction and adrenal aldosterone …

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferate in response to arterial injury. Recent
findings suggest that, in addition to platelet-derived growth factors, growth factors from …

Endothelial cells release nitric oxide (NO) more potently in response to increased shear
stress than to agonists which elevate intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ). To …

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are a multigene family activated by many extracellular
stimuli. There are three groups of MAP kinases based on their dual phosphorylation …

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells
that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The potential role of PDGF in …