Mechanical deformation of the arterial wall in hypertension: a mechanism for vascular pathology.

Hypertension is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. It has been proposed that the atherogenic potential of hypertension is due to the development of a proinflammatory state within the arterial wall that is, at least in part, a result of the generation of reactive oxygen species. This article proposes that mechanical deformation of the arterial wall is a critical stimulus in this scheme. Data is reviewed that demonstrate that mechanical deformation of the arterial wall stimulates the generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequently results in the upregulation of redox-sensitive proinflammatory gene products.