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The endothelial saga: the past, the present, the future

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Abstract

Endothelium-dependent changes in vasomotor tone, whether evoked by vasoactive agents or physical forces, are recognized as essential for the local hemodynamic control in various normal and pathological circumstances. They are based on a complex signaling network within the vascular wall. In recent years, substantial efforts have been made to analyze how such signals are generated and used in the endothelium-dependent control of vascular smooth muscle. The underlying mechanisms vary with species, age, sex, hormonal status, vascular bed studied, caliber of the blood vessels, triggering stimuli, pre-existing vascular tone, oxidative stress, and pathology. Such aspects and many others will be addressed specifically by the authors contributing to this volume.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by grants from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research via UEFISCSU and CNCSIS (grant ID_1156/2007-2010 from the program IDEI of plan PNCDI-II), the Belgian Ministry for Science Policy (Interuniversity Attraction Pole IUAP P6/28), the Research Foundation-Flanders (G.0172.03 and G.0565.07), the Research Council of the KU Leuven (GOA 2004/07 and EF/95/010).

The editors initiated this special issue as a result of discussions originating at “Works and Views in Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation,” an international symposium organized by D. N. Serban in May 2009, in Iasi, Romania, which was supported from the mentioned Romanian grant and sponsored by DABMMed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Study and Therapy of Pain, “Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Str., 700115, Iasi, Romania

    Dragomir N. Serban

  2. Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N 1, Herestraat 49 bus 802, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Bernd Nilius

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Laboratory Block 2/F, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China

    Paul M. Vanhoutte

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  1. Dragomir N. Serban
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Correspondence to Paul M. Vanhoutte.

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Serban, D.N., Nilius, B. & Vanhoutte, P.M. The endothelial saga: the past, the present, the future. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 459, 787–792 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-010-0805-5

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