Abstract
The vascular system plays a central role in the transport of cells, oxygen and nutrients between different regions of the body, depending on the needs, as well as of metabolic waste products for their elimination. While the structure of different components of the vascular system varies, these structures, especially those of main arteries and arterioles, can be affected by the presence of different cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity. This vascular remodeling is mainly characterized by a thickening of the media layer as a consequence of changes in smooth muscle cells or excessive fibrosis accumulation. These vascular changes associated with obesity can trigger functional alterations, with endothelial dysfunction and vascular stiffness being especially common features of obese vessels. These changes can also lead to impaired tissue perfusion that may affect multiple tissues and organs. In this review, we focus on the role played by perivascular adipose tissue, the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the vascular dysfunction associated with obesity. In addition, the participation of oxidative stress in this vascular damage, which can be produced in the perivascular adipose tissue as well as in other components of the vascular wall, is updated.
Highlights
Received: 28 January 2021Accepted: 1 March 2021Published: 8 March 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.The vascular system is comprised of a large number of different vessels that play a central role in the movement of blood throughout the circulatory system
Obese mice induced by high fat diet (HFD) exhibited increased mass, hypertrophied adipocytes and high levels of O2 - and H2 O2 in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) from abdominal or thoracic aorta accompanied by a PVAT dysfunction, with lost anticontractile effect and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation [109,118]
All of these alterations could be explained by the enhanced levels of peroxynitrite levels and the subsequent endothelial dysfunction observed in thioredoxin knockout obese mice [227] showing that oxidative stress is associated with vascular remodeling in obesity
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The adventitia in the large arteries supplies oxygen and nutrients to the vascular vessel through the vasa vasorum This layer is composed mainly by fibroblasts, among other cells [3,4]. The middle layer or media composed of elastic and muscular tissue which modulates the internal lumen of the vessel This layer is mainly composed of vascular smooth muscle cells [5]. Arteries have an abundance of elastic tissue and less smooth muscle due to exposure to high pressure This high level of elastin allows them to increase in size and modify their diameter, conferring to the vessels the elasticity and compliance properties necessary for the correct functioning of the vascular system. Arterioles that provide blood to the organs contain mainly smooth muscle cells and play an important role in the systemic vascular resistance due to the lack of elastic tissue in the walls. The involvement of oxidative stress in these alterations and mechanisms will be discussed
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