Early Microvascular Dysfunction: Is the Vasa Vasorum a "Missing Link" in Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis.

Jeanette Owusu,Eugene Barrett

doi:10.3390/ijms22147574

Early Microvascular Dysfunction: Is the Vasa Vasorum a "Missing Link" in Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis.

Jeanette Owusu, Eugene Barrett

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22147574

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Abstract

The arterial vasa vasorum is a specialized microvasculature that provides critical perfusion required for the health of the arterial wall, and is increasingly recognized to play a central role in atherogenesis. Cardio-metabolic disease (CMD) (including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and pre-diabetes) is associated with insulin resistance, and characteristically injures the microvasculature in multiple tissues, (e.g., the eye, kidney, muscle, and heart). CMD also increases the risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease. Despite this, the impact of CMD on vasa vasorum structure and function has been little studied. Here we review emerging information on the early impact of CMD on the microvasculature in multiple tissues and consider the potential impact on atherosclerosis development and progression, if vasa vasorum is similarly affected.

Highlights

Link” in Insulin Resistance andThe vasa vasorum is the nexus of the micro- and macro-vasculature and as such forms a nidus where dysfunction of, or injury to, either element may impact the integrity of the other, setting off a chain reaction that could accelerate vascular disease development
The impact of insulin resistance, hypertension, and diabetes on microvascular structure and function has been extensively studied in multiple tissues other than the arterial wall
We briefly review data indicating a central role for vasa vasorum in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic lesions and the acceleration of that process by insulin resistance and diabetes

Summary

Introduction

The vasa vasorum is the nexus of the micro- and macro-vasculature and as such forms a nidus where dysfunction of, or injury to, either element may impact the integrity of the other, setting off a chain reaction that could accelerate vascular disease development. The impact of insulin resistance, hypertension, and diabetes on microvascular structure and function has been extensively studied in multiple tissues other than the arterial wall. We focus this brief review on the potential for significant parallels between findings in the vasa vasorum and microvasculature at other tissue sites.

Structure and Function of the Arterial Vasa Vasorum

Normal Growth of the Vasa Vasorum

Experimental Approaches to Studying Vasa Vasorum Structure and Function

Research Challenges