ROLE OF PERIVASCULAR ADIPOSE TISSUE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC AND NONATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASES

Abstract

Perivascular adipose tissue surrounds most large blood vessels and plays an important role in vascular homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that perivascular adipose tissue effects vasodilation and vasoconstriction, which indicates that the perivascular adipose tissue regulates tone and diameter of the vessels. Adipocytokines and chemokines, secreted from the perivascular adipose tissue, apparently have direct access to the adjacent arterial wall by diffusion, or through vasa vasorum. The present data indicate that perivascular adipose tissue plays an important role in atherosclerosis, hypertension. Recently, some studies were performed that examined the role of perivascular adipose tissue in non-atherosclerotic vascular diseases, such as neointimal formation, aortic aneurysm, arterial stiffness and vasculitis. The present review will discuss a role of perivascular adipose tissue in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, hypertension and non-atherosclerotic vascular diseases.

Keywords

• perivascular adipose tissue
• adipokines
• cytokines
• atherosclerosis
• hypertension
• cardiovascular diseases