Crosstalk between perivascular adipose tissue and blood vessels

Abstract

Crosstalk between cells in the blood vessel wall is vital to normal vascular function and is perturbed in diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Perivascular adipocytes reside at the adventitial border of blood vessels but until recently were virtually ignored in studies of vascular function. However, perivascular adipocytes have been demonstrated to be powerful endocrine cells capable of responding to metabolic cues and transducing signals to adjacent blood vessels. Accordingly, crosstalk between perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and blood vessels is now being intensely examined. Emerging evidence suggests that PVAT regulates vascular function through numerous mechanisms, but evidence to date suggests modulation of three key aspects that are the focus of this review: inflammation, vasoreactivity, and smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure

Proposed model of crosstalk between perivascular adipose tissue and blood vessels. Mediators that primarily promote vascular health and homeostasis are indicated by green arrows, whereas those that induce vascular disease are indicated by straight red arrows. Chemotactic cytokines released by PVAT recruit monocytes and lymphocytes to the blood vessel wall (curved red arrows). Abbreviations: ADRF, adipocyte-derived relaxing factor; ADCF, adipocyte-derived constricting factor.