Perivascular Adipose Tissue can be Considered a Risk Factor for Atherosclerosis?

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is an ectopic deposition of adipose tissue surrounding the vasculature and your influence on the vasculature changes with increasing adiposity. PVAT involves coronary arteries, aorta, mesenteric, and small arteries in the body, and its likely function differs in each of these anatomical regions .

PVATsecretes a wide variety of adipocytokines and other substances, includinghormones, cytokines, chemokines, oxygen radicals, angiotensinogen, leptin,resistin and fatty acids. The rate of secretion of various adipocytokines varies in different places in the vascular tree, adipocytokines as TNF-α, IL-6 and others. Adiponectin can affect insulin sensitivity, inflammatory responses, hemostasis, appetite and atherosclerosis. The factors secreted by PVAT that act in the regulation of vascular function.

PVAT is related to the vascular contractility, endothelial dysfunction, neointima formation, arterial stiffness, aneurysm formation, and produce substances that can interfere in the process of atherosclerosis and contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases .

An understanding of the pathophysiology of PVAT and its potential role in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality can be significant in preventing and treating of atherosclerosis. Read more.......