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Early Microvascular Dysfunction: Is the Vasa Vasorum a "Missing Link" in Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis

Jeanette Owusu1, Eugene Barrett1,2,3

  • 1Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|July 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cardio-metabolic disease (CMD) injures microvasculature, potentially affecting the arterial vasa vasorum. Further research is needed to understand how CMD impacts vasa vasorum and atherosclerosis development.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular science
  • Vascular biology
  • Metabolic disease research

Background:

  • The arterial vasa vasorum is crucial for arterial wall health and implicated in atherosclerosis.
  • Cardio-metabolic disease (CMD), linked to insulin resistance, damages microvasculature in various organs.
  • CMD elevates the risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the early impact of CMD on microvasculature across multiple tissues.
  • To explore the potential consequences of CMD on vasa vasorum structure and function.
  • To consider how vasa vasorum impairment by CMD may influence atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of emerging information on CMD and microvasculature.
  • Synthesis of data on vasa vasorum and its role in cardiovascular health.
  • Analysis of potential links between CMD, vasa vasorum, and atherogenesis.

Main Results:

  • CMD is known to cause microvascular injury in systemic tissues.
  • The specific effects of CMD on the arterial vasa vasorum remain understudied.
  • A potential link exists between CMD-induced microvascular damage and atherosclerosis progression.

Conclusions:

  • CMD's impact on the arterial vasa vasorum is a critical, under-explored area.
  • Understanding this relationship may reveal new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.
  • Further investigation into CMD's effects on vasa vasorum is warranted.

Keywords:
adventitial vasa vasorumangiogenesisatherosclerosismicrovascular insulin resistance

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