The vascular endothelium is a multifunctional organ and is critically involved in modulating vascular tone. Thus it is important for the homeostasis of the body and its dysfunction is associated with several pathophysiological conditions, including atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes.
In general, endothelial dysfunction is characterized by altered vascular tone, inflammation, and thrombosis in the vascular wall .
We are interested to characterize identify new
endothelium-derived candidates which regulate proper
endothelial function and to understand their regulation on
transcriptional an translational level, because endothelial
dysfunction is strongly associated with cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality.
The goal of our research is to identify mechanisms
underlying the impairment of endothelium-dependent
vasoreactivity after whole-body exposure with hormone
active compounds, such as estrogens. In the last years the
physiology and pathophysiology of several candidates genes
was described, e.g. for prostaglandins, the nitric oxide
system, endothelium derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF),
angiotensin II, dinucleosidepolyphosphates and endothelin
(ET).