Perivascular Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ: The Role of Statins

Title:Perivascular Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ: The Role of Statins

Volume: 23 Issue: 46

Author(s): Fabio Sanna*, Marios Margaritis and Charalambos Antoniades

Affiliation:

• Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford,United Kingdom

Keywords: Adipose tissue, cardiovascular disease, oxidative stress, statins, Perivascular AT, cytokines.

Abstract: Adipose tissue (AT), aside from being an energy storage site, functions as a source of cytokines, adipokines and other vasoactive molecules. Dysfunctional AT contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease by shifting to a pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory phenotype. Perivascular AT (PVAT) is of particular importance to the development of vascular disease, due to its close proximity to the vascular wall. Molecules released from PVAT can exert both pro- and anti-contractile effects, the balance of which plays a role in controlling vascular tone. Recent evidence supports the existence of reciprocal, two-way interactions between PVAT and the vascular wall. Statins, with their pivotal role in cardiovascular disease prevention, have been shown to exert lipidlowering independent, pleiotropic effects on the vascular wall, some of which may be mediated by modulatory effects on PVAT inflammation and secretome. These effects of statins provide a paradigm for the development of new therapeutic agents aimed at modulating PVAT function, as a novel treatment strategy against cardiovascular disease.

Cite this article as:

Sanna Fabio *, Margaritis Marios and Antoniades Charalambos , Perivascular Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ: The Role of Statins, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2017; 23 (46) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612823666170926133843