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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Possible therapeutic role of endothelin antagonists in cardiovascular disease
1Texas Blood Pressure Institute, Dallas Nephrology Associates, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75240, USA. ramv@dneph.com
Abstract:
Endothelin-1 is an endothelium-derived compound that exerts a variety of hemodynamic and structural alterations in the cardiovascular and pulmonary circuits. The endothelin system is activated in an assortment of disorders and disease states, such as systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndromes, and congestive heart failure. The actions of endothelin are mediated by two types of receptors: ETA and ETB, which are widely distributed in the cardiovascular system. The complexity of biophysical effects mediated by these two types of receptors dictates the therapeutic implications, that is, selective (ETA) versus dual (ETA/ ETB) receptor antagonism. Preliminary experimental and clinical studies reveal a role played by endothelin as a pathogenetic substance and, conversely, a possible role for endothelin antagonism in clinical medicine.
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