Endothelial dysfunction:EDCF revisited

Endothelial cells can initiate contraction(constriction)of the vascular smooth muscle cells that surround them.Such endothelium-dependent,acute increases in contractile tone can be due to the withdrawal of the production of nitric oxide,to the production of vasoconstrictor peptides(angiotensin II,endothelin-1),to the formation of oxygen-derived free radicals(superoxide anions)and/or the release of vasoconstrictor metabolites of arachidonic acid.The latter have been termed endothelium-derived contracting fac...