血管平滑肌细胞表型转变的机制及在心血管疾病中的作用研究进展

Recent advances of phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells in vascular diseases

血管平滑肌细胞(vascular smooth muscle cells,VSMCs)的表型具有高度可塑性。在缺氧及炎症等因素作用下,VSMCs由收缩型转变为分泌型,表现为细胞收缩能力减弱,而增殖、迁移和分泌能力显著增强,这一过程是导致动脉粥样硬化、肺动脉高压等多种心血管疾病发生发展的重要原因。前期研究表明,VSMCs表型转变受多种因素调控,如细胞因子、信号通路、细胞外基质、生物力等,靶向调控这些分子及信号通路可有效改善心血管疾病的进程。因此,本文将对VSMCs表型转变的机制及其在心血管疾病中的作用进行阐述,以期为多种相关心血管疾病的临床治疗提供理论依据。

The phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)is highly plastic.Influenced by hypoxia,inflammation or some other factors,VSMCs often switch from a contractile into a secretory phenotype,which shows that the cell contractility is weakened,while their abilities of proliferation,migration and secretion are significantly enhanced.The phenotypic switch plays an important role in regulating the progression of multiple vascular diseases,such as atherosclerosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension.Previous studies have shown that the phenotypic switch of VSMCs is regulated by a variety of factors,such as microenvironment cytokines,metabolic remodeling signaling pathways,extracellular matrix and biological forces and targeted regulation of these molecules and signaling pathways can effectively improve the course of vascular diseases.Therefore,the mechanisms of phenotypic switch of VSMCs and its role in the progression of vascular diseases will be described in this review,in order to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of vascular diseases.