Endothelial mechanosensing: A forgotten target to treat vascular remodeling in hypertension?

Abstract

The endothelium is a mechanosensitive organ whose pleiotropic actions regulate vessel structure to adjust tissue perfusion. To do so, it possesses ion channels, receptor complexes, and signaling pathways responding to blood flow, whose activation will either maintain vascular integrity and quiescence or, on the contrary, remodel the vessel's structure in both health and disease. Recent studies have demonstrated the crucial role of endothelial inflammation, endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT), and perturbed hemodynamics in the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension and essential hypertension. These two distinct diseases share some common mechanistic cues, pointing towards new potential therapeutic approaches to treat them. In this review, we summarize these common mechanisms to map future drug development strategies targeting flow sensing mechanisms and vascular remodeling.