Biomaterial Database

Endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary vascular bed. 2000

Y F Chen, and S Oparil

Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294-0007, USA.

The pulmonary endothelium modulates vascular tone by the release of endothelium-derived constricting (EDCF) and relaxing (EDRF) factors, among them endothelin-1, nitric oxide, prostacyclin, and putative endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors. Abnormalities in EDCF and EDRF generation have been demonstrated in a number of cardiopulmonary disease states, such as primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive lung disease, cardiopulmonary bypass, and congestive heart failure. An imbalance between EDCF and EDRF, termed "pulmonary endothelial dysfunction," may contribute to the alteration in vascular tone characteristic of pulmonary disease. The following review summarizes the present knowledge of the role of EDCF and EDRF in such processes with major focus on pulmonary endothelial dysfunction in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006976	Hypertension, Pulmonary	Increased VASCULAR RESISTANCE in the PULMONARY CIRCULATION, usually secondary to HEART DISEASES or LUNG DISEASES.	Pulmonary Hypertension
D008173	Lung Diseases, Obstructive	Any disorder marked by obstruction of conducting airways of the lung. AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION may be acute, chronic, intermittent, or persistent.	Obstructive Lung Diseases,Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases,Lung Disease, Obstructive,Obstructive Lung Disease,Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,Pulmonary Disease, Obstructive,Pulmonary Diseases, Obstructive
D009569	Nitric Oxide	A free radical gas produced endogenously by a variety of mammalian cells, synthesized from ARGININE by NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE. Nitric oxide is one of the ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXING FACTORS released by the vascular endothelium and mediates VASODILATION. It also inhibits platelet aggregation, induces disaggregation of aggregated platelets, and inhibits platelet adhesion to the vascular endothelium. Nitric oxide activates cytosolic GUANYLATE CYCLASE and thus elevates intracellular levels of CYCLIC GMP.	Endogenous Nitrate Vasodilator,Mononitrogen Monoxide,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium-Derived,Nitrogen Monoxide,Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide,Monoxide, Mononitrogen,Monoxide, Nitrogen,Nitrate Vasodilator, Endogenous,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium Derived,Oxide, Nitric,Vasodilator, Endogenous Nitrate
D009842	Oligopeptides	Peptides composed of between two and twelve amino acids.	Oligopeptide
D010456	Peptides, Cyclic	Peptides whose amino acid residues are linked together forming a circular chain. Some of them are ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS; some are biosynthesized non-ribosomally (PEPTIDE BIOSYNTHESIS, NON-RIBOSOMAL).	Circular Peptide,Cyclic Peptide,Cyclic Peptides,Cyclopeptide,Orbitide,Circular Peptides,Cyclopeptides,Orbitides,Peptide, Circular,Peptide, Cyclic,Peptides, Circular
D010880	Piperidines	A family of hexahydropyridines.
D011464	Epoprostenol	A prostaglandin that is a powerful vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation. It is biosynthesized enzymatically from PROSTAGLANDIN ENDOPEROXIDES in human vascular tissue. The sodium salt has been also used to treat primary pulmonary hypertension (HYPERTENSION, PULMONARY).	Prostacyclin,Prostaglandin I2,Epoprostanol,Epoprostenol Sodium,Epoprostenol Sodium Salt, (5Z,9alpha,11alpha,13E,15S)-Isomer,Flolan,Prostaglandin I(2),Veletri
D011652	Pulmonary Circulation	The circulation of the BLOOD through the LUNGS.	Pulmonary Blood Flow,Respiratory Circulation,Circulation, Pulmonary,Circulation, Respiratory,Blood Flow, Pulmonary,Flow, Pulmonary Blood,Pulmonary Blood Flows
D011759	Pyrrolidines	Compounds also known as tetrahydropyridines with general molecular formula (CH2)4NH.	Tetrahydropyridine,Tetrahydropyridines
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal