Assessment Platform for Macro-and Micro-vascular Protection of Functional Foods and Medicinal Herbs

Huang Yu

Institute of Vascular Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences，Chinese University of Hong Kong，Hong Kong SAR，China

Endothelial cells regulate local vascular homeostasis via liberating both relaxing and contracting factors，of which the latter are found to be increased in vascular inflammation of hypertension，diabetes，hypercholesterolemia，and aging.Endothelial dysfunction is a key role that mediates the initiation of cellular pathological events evolving into the development of vascular complications in diabetes and hypertension.Diminished production and function of endothelium-derived nitric oxide and other vaso-protective factors and／or the exaggerated production of pro-inflammatory and vasoconstrictors，such as angiotensin II，reactive oxygen species（ROS），and cyclooxygenase-derived metabolites of arachidonic acid eventually lead to endothelial cell dysfunction，resulting in elevated vascular tone which contributes to hypertension，vascular，and cardiac remodeling，and estrogen-deficient vascular dysfunction progressing to microvascular and macrovascular events.Specific therapies targeting ROS using antioxidants and inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system or increasing the eNOS activity might assist to reverse endothelial dysfunction and thus reduce the related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in diabetes and hypertension.We have recently examined the potential values of several functional food and medicinal plants in reducing endothelial cell dysfunction during estrogen deficiency and diabetes，suggesting that endothelium can be an effective target site for drug development.