ABSTRACT
The vasculature performs the vital function of providing the nutrient supply to and waste removal from the tissues of the body. In this role, it serves as the interface between blood elements and tissues. Although simplistically thought of as purely a conduit, blood vessels are important regulators of normal physiologic activity within the body. Because of the varied functions of the vasculature, the divergent cell types that make up blood vessels, and the essential nature of their functions, blood vessels have evolved important and unique mechanisms for regulating and responding to their environment. Cardiovascular diseases, primarily atherosclerosis and hypertension, are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries around the world. The response of the vasculature to lipids, inflammatory mediators, xenobiotics, infectious agents, and mechanical injury all importantly contribute to vascular function and dysfunction. The vulnerability of blood vessels to injury by numerous chemicals and drugs is well recognized and has previously been reviewed (Ruben et al., 1992; Boor et al., 1995; Burke et al., 1997; Feuerstein and Kerns, 1997). The impact that these influences have on health and disease and on biomedical research aimed at investigating these health pro blems makes the understanding of the vascular response to injury of paramount clinical significance. Recent advances in vascular pathobiology have elucidated unique signaling and regulatory mechanisms that enable blood vessels to respond to and adapt to a variety of stresses and insults. The purpose of this chapter is to review the general mechanisms by which blood vessels respond to insults, be they physiologic, toxicologic, or mechanical.
