Nitric oxide in vascular remodeling.

Vascular remodeling is a series of structural changes in blood vessels. Therefore, it may be conceivable that any humoral factors and physical forces acting on the vascular wall are involved in the remodeling processes. Cells in the vascular wall respond to the humoral and physical factors and may induce extracellular matrix, cell adhesion molecules and other humoral factors. They even grow so that cellular and noncellular components deviate from the normal population. We discuss the relationship among nitric oxide (NO), pressure and growth of smooth muscles. Decreased NO may be a consequence as well as a cause of high pressure. Similarly, high pressure is a cause as well as a consequence of decreased NO. Remodeling could be a consequence of both high pressure and decreased NO. Thus, vascular remodeling is a complex dynamic state, where any causes and results are influenced by each other. Interaction of NO and pressure is one such complexity.