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Published on: April 19, 2011
The role of uridine adenosine tetraphosphate in the vascular system
Takayuki Matsumoto1, Rita C Tostes, R Clinton Webb
1Department of Physiology, Georgia Health Sciences University, 1120 Fifteenth Street, CA-3135, Augusta, GA 30912-3000, USA.
Abstract:
The endothelium plays a pivotal role in vascular homeostasis, and endothelial dysfunction is a major feature of cardiovascular diseases, such as arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Recently, uridine adenosine tetraphosphate (Up(4)A) has been identified as a novel and potent endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF). Up(4)A structurally contains both purine and pyrimidine moieties, which activate purinergic receptors. There is an accumulating body of evidence to show that Up(4)A modulates vascular function by actions on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In this paper, we discuss the effects of Up(4)A on vascular function and a potential role for Up(4)A in cardiovascular diseases.
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