The fatter the better? Perivascular adipose tissue attenuates vascular contraction through different mechanisms

Abstract

Adipose tissue releases several hormones and autacoids and expansion of the adipose tissue and excessive obesity is a risk factor for hypertension. Perivascular adipose tissue, on the other hand, has been reported to lower the vascular tone through the release of a transferable, thermosensitive, non-lipid factor. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, Gao et al. (2007) report that a factor generated by the adipose tissue also stimulates the generation of NO by endothelium and that NO is the predominant mediator of adipose tissue-induced relaxation in endothelium-intact vessels (88 words). © 2007 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.