Coronary Plaque Neovascularization and Hemorrhage: A Potential Target for Plaque Stabilization?

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Aloke V Finn, Emory University; Rakesh K. Jain, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Language: English
• Date: 2010
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2010 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Articles published under an Elsevier user license are protected by copyright and may be used for non-commercial purposes.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2009.11.001
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging
• ISSN: 1936-878X
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 41
• End Page: 44
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Angiogenesis or the growth of new blood vessels from existing host vessels is increasingly being recognized as important in the growth and progression of atherosclerosis, the primary cause of coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease. Neovascularization of atherosclerotic plaques was first noted by Koester in 1876 and later Barger et al. proposed that the growth and extension of adventitial blood vessels called vasa vasorum (VV) into the intima occurs as a response to tissue hypoxia which occurs when the intima thickens beyond the diffusion limits of oxygen and nutrients (∼350uM). Indeed, increases in hypoxia inducible factor alpha (HIF-1α), a transcription factor which is upregulated under hypoxic conditions and promotes hypoxia dependent neovascularization, have been found in human atherosclerotic plaques.