TY - JOUR
T1 - Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary vascular remodeling
AU - Stenmark, K. R.
AU - Mecham, R. P.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - In many organs and tissues, the cellular response to injury is associated with a reiteration of specific developmental processes. Studies have shown that, in response to injury, vascular wall cells in adult organisms express genes or gene products characteristic of earlier developmental states. Other genes, expressed preferentially in adult cells in vivo, are down-regulated following injurious stimuli. Complicating matters, however, are recent observations demonstrating that the vascular wall is comprised of phenotypically heterogeneous subpopulations of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. It is unclear how specific subsets of cells respond to injury and thus contribute to the vascular remodeling that characterizes chronic pulmonary hypertension. This review discusses vascular development in the lung and the cellular responses occurring in pulmonary hypertension; special attention is given to heterogeneity of responses within cell populations and reiteration of developmental processes.
AB - In many organs and tissues, the cellular response to injury is associated with a reiteration of specific developmental processes. Studies have shown that, in response to injury, vascular wall cells in adult organisms express genes or gene products characteristic of earlier developmental states. Other genes, expressed preferentially in adult cells in vivo, are down-regulated following injurious stimuli. Complicating matters, however, are recent observations demonstrating that the vascular wall is comprised of phenotypically heterogeneous subpopulations of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. It is unclear how specific subsets of cells respond to injury and thus contribute to the vascular remodeling that characterizes chronic pulmonary hypertension. This review discusses vascular development in the lung and the cellular responses occurring in pulmonary hypertension; special attention is given to heterogeneity of responses within cell populations and reiteration of developmental processes.
KW - endothelial cells
KW - fibroblasts
KW - lung development
KW - pulmonary hypertension
KW - smooth muscle cells
KW - vascular development
KW - vascular injury
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030934358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1146/annurev.physiol.59.1.89
DO - 10.1146/annurev.physiol.59.1.89
M3 - Review article
C2 - 9074758
AN - SCOPUS:0030934358
VL - 59
SP - 89
EP - 144
JO - Annual Review of Physiology
JF - Annual Review of Physiology
SN - 0066-4278
ER -