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Updated: Nov 8, 2025
In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart
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Role of Inflammation in Coronary Epicardial and Microvascular Dysfunction
Shigeo Godo1, Jun Takahashi1, Satoshi Yasuda1
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine Sendai, Japan.
Insights
Inflammation is closely linked to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), impacting conditions like heart failure and rheumatoid diseases. Targeting inflammation may offer new therapeutic strategies for CMD patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Inflammation Research
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Accumulating evidence links inflammation and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) across experimental and clinical studies.
- Chronic low-grade vascular inflammation is a key mechanism in CMD, particularly in coronary artery disease, obesity, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and rheumatoid diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a concise overview of the current knowledge on inflammation's role in CMD pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms.
- To explore the bench-to-bedside implications of inflammation in coronary microvascular dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing current experimental and clinical evidence.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms linking inflammatory mediators to coronary vasomotion abnormalities.
Main Results:
- Inflammation significantly contributes to enhanced coronary vasoconstrictor reactivity and reduced vasodilator capacity in CMD.
- Inflammatory mediators are substantially involved in increased coronary microvascular resistance.
Conclusions:
- Inflammation is a critical factor in the pathophysiology of coronary microvascular dysfunction.
- Further research is needed to determine if targeting inflammatory responses can effectively manage CMD and improve patient outcomes.
Abstract:
There is accumulating evidence highlighting a close relationship between inflammation and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in various experimental and clinical settings, with major clinical implications. Chronic low-grade vascular inflammation plays important roles in the underlying mechanisms behind CMD, especially in patients with coronary artery disease, obesity, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and chronic inflammatory rheumatoid diseases. The central mechanisms of coronary vasomotion abnormalities comprise enhanced coronary vasoconstrictor reactivity, reduced endothelium-dependent and -independent coronary vasodilator capacity and increased coronary microvascular resistance, where inflammatory mediators and responses are substantially involved. How to modulate CMD to improve clinical outcomes of patients with the disorder and whether CMD management by targeting inflammatory responses can benefit patients remain challenging questions in need of further research. This review provides a concise overview of the current knowledge of the involvement of inflammation in the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of CMD from bench to bedside.
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