Angiogenesis in atherosclerosis.

This article reviews studies on the structure, complications and pathogenesis of angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaques. Although important, this topic has not been studied extensively; the authors present a review of the important information available in the literature. Since angiogenesis has profound clinical complications, the focus is on data which provided information to understand the nature of the vascular structures involved and the sequence of events which led to the initiation and growth of these small vessels in the plaque. This review indicates that it is most likely that the capillaries that first form arise from the vasa vasorum. Since the cell biology literature suggests that angiogenesis is regulated by angiogenic factors which stimulate vascular cell migration and proliferation, the known role of several growth factors and inhibitors is reviewed. It is likely that a complex interaction in the atherosclerotic vessel wall results in angiogenesis, and that further study with purified growth factors and other substances is needed to clarify the pathogenesis of this important biological process.