Emerging role of exosomes in vascular diseases

Abstract

Exosomes are biological small spherical lipid bilayer vesicles secreted by most cells in the body. Their contents include nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Exosomes can transfer material molecules between cells and consequently have a variety of biological functions, participating in disease development while exhibiting potential value as biomarkers and therapeutics. Growing evidence suggests that exosomes are vital mediators of vascular remodeling. Endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), inflammatory cells, and adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) can communicate through exosomes; such communication is associated with inflammatory responses, cell migration and proliferation, and cell metabolism, leading to changes in vascular function and structure. Essential hypertension (EH), atherosclerosis (AS), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are the most common vascular diseases and are associated with significant vascular remodeling. This paper reviews the latest research progress on the involvement of exosomes in vascular remodeling through intercellular information exchange and provides new ideas for understanding related diseases.

Chymase in Plasma and Urine Extracellular Vesicles: Novel Biomarkers for Primary Hypertension

“…A budding literature identifies exosomes as vehicles for transferring ACE to vascular smooth muscle cells in SHR 36 . As reviewed by Ren and Zhang 37 , microRNAs isolated from the blood of genetically hypertensive rats can exert significant structural changes in the vasculature, reduce oxidative stress, and even Mas-receptor expression. In addition, we showed recently that chymase containing EVs isolated from the pericardial fluid of patients undergoing cardiac surgery delivered human chymase to endothelial cells and the rat cardiac interstitium within 4 h post-injection 27 .…”