Diabetic Aortic Disease Pathogenesis And Drug Intervention Study

BackgroundType 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. The risk of diabetic patients to atherosclerosis and its complication, such as stroke, myocardial infarction and peripheral vascular disease is 2 to 4 times than that of nondiabetic patients. Diabetes has been regarded as an equivalent to coronary artery disease. It has been suggested that diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction may contribute to the development of diabetic cardiovascular complications. Diabetic macroangiopathy, i.e. diabetes-associated vascular remodeling, underlies the diabetic cardiovascular complications, but the mechanisms by which diabetes promotes macroangiopathy have not been fully delineated, and their treatment approaches need to be improved.Diabetic macroangiopathy is characterized by a series of diffuse alterations that increase the vulnerability of the vessel wall to atherogenic processes. Evidence strongly indicates that one prominent feature of the diabetic macroangiopathy is the abnormality of connective tissue in arterial walls. The pathological modification in fibrous collagen is correlated with vascular fibrosis and stiffness. Vascular fibrosis may increase the wall stiffness, lead to turbulent blood flow, and eventually derange the hemodynamic function, which is the biomechanical basis for atherosclerosis. However, the precise molecular mechanism linking hyperglycemia with the abnormal vascular functions remains poorly understood.During the scarring process, TGF- β plays a major role in matrix protein accumulation and collagen deposition. Although the theory is established that TGF...