Inflammatory cGAS-STING Signaling in Age-Related Endothelial Dysfunction

Chronic, unresolved inflammatory signaling is a feature of aging, the result of lingering senescent cells, debris from stressed cells, and other processes. When persistent over time, inflammatory signaling is highly disruptive to cell and tissue function, altering behavior in ways that contribute to a wide variety of pathologies. In the vasculature, this includes atherosclerosis, calcification, loss of compliance in the vascular smooth muscle responsible for contraction and dilation of blood vessels, and a range of more subtle problems, lumped under the heading of endothelial dysfunction, at the inner surface of blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction, a leading cause of abnormal vasodilation, is the basis of many cardiovascular diseases. Improving endothelial function has been shown to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, to date, little is known about the effects of existing methods on the prevention of endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of endothelial dysfunction may be beneficial in the development of more effective therapeutic targets. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a vital enzyme required for NO synthesis in endothelial cells and is the primary regulator of homeostasis and vascular tone. A decline in eNOS expression often leads to increased vascular tension and decreased local blood perfusion, which are responsible for the development of many cardiovascular ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs