Qian Guoqing, Adeyanju Oluwaseun, Olajuyin Ayobami, Guo Xia
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA.
Life (Basel). 2022 Jan 27;12(2):191. doi: 10.3390/life12020191.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a lethal degenerative vascular disease that affects, mostly, the elder population, with a high mortality rate (>80%) upon rupture. It features a dilation of the aortic diameter to larger than 30 mm or more than 50%. Diverse pathological processes are involved in the development of AAA, including aortic wall inflammation, elastin breakdown, oxidative stress, smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic switching and dysfunction, and extracellular matrix degradation. With open surgery being the only therapeutic option up to date, the lack of pharmaceutical treatment approach calls for identifying novel and effective targets and further understanding the pathological process of AAA. Both lifestyle and genetic predisposition have an important role in increasing the risk of AAA. Several cell types are closely related to the pathogenesis of AAA. Among them, vascular SMCs (VSMCs) are gaining much attention as a critical contributor for AAA initiation and/or progression. In this review, we summarize what is known about AAA, including the risk factors, the pathophysiology, and the established animal models of AAA. In particular, we focus on the VSMC phenotypic switching and dysfunction in AAA formation. Further understanding the regulation of VSMC phenotypic changes may provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment or prevention of AAA.
腹主动脉瘤（AAA）是一种致命的退行性血管疾病，主要影响老年人群，破裂时死亡率很高（>80%）。其特征是主动脉直径扩张至大于30毫米或超过50%。AAA的发生涉及多种病理过程，包括主动脉壁炎症、弹性蛋白分解、氧化应激、平滑肌细胞（SMC）表型转换和功能障碍以及细胞外基质降解。由于开放手术是迄今为止唯一的治疗选择，缺乏药物治疗方法促使人们寻找新的有效靶点，并进一步了解AAA的病理过程。生活方式和遗传易感性在增加AAA风险方面都起着重要作用。几种细胞类型与AAA的发病机制密切相关。其中，血管平滑肌细胞（VSMC）作为AAA起始和/或进展的关键因素受到了广泛关注。在本综述中，我们总结了关于AAA已知的信息，包括危险因素、病理生理学以及已建立的AAA动物模型。特别是，我们重点关注AAA形成过程中VSMC表型转换和功能障碍。进一步了解VSMC表型变化的调控可能为AAA的治疗或预防提供新的治疗靶点。
