New insights into pulmonary hypertension: A role for connexin‐mediated signalling

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious clinical condition characterised by increased pulmonary arterial pressure. This can lead to right ventricular failure which can be fatal. Connexins are gap junction‐forming membrane proteins which serve to exchange small molecules of less than 1 kD between cells. Connexins can also form hemi‐channels connecting the intracellular and extracellular environments. Hemi‐channels can mediate adenosine triphosphate release and are involved in autocrine and paracrine signalling. Recently, our group and others have identified evidence that connexin‐mediated signalling may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. In this review, we discuss the evidence that dysregulated connexin‐mediated signalling is associated with pulmonary hypertension.