Vascular tension

Vascular tension (or vascular tone) describes the contractile state of blood vessel smooth muscle, determining vessel diameter and resistance to blood flow. It is regulated by numerous molecular and cellular mechanisms, including autonomic neural signals, humoral factors (e.g., angiotensin II, endothelin), local mechanical forces (shear stress, stretch), ion channels (calcium, potassium), nitric oxide signaling, and vasoactive peptides[1][3][4][5][6]. Abnormal tension can lead to diseases such as hypertension and heart failure. Multiple molecular targets control vascular tension, such as receptors (AT1R, MasR, NPR1/2), ion channels, enzymes (eNOS), and others, but "vascular tension" itself is not a molecule, receptor, or gene. Therapeutic agents act on these underlying molecular components to modulate vascular tension. Thus, "vascular tension" is a physiological parameter and not a canonical molecular drug target. - For molecular target information, see individual components such as Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), calcium channels, etc.[5][6][1]. In summary, "vascular tension" is not a canonical molecule or molecular drug target—entries should reference the molecular mechanisms or targets underlying its regulation for structured annotation.

Other names

Vascular toneVascular smooth muscle tensionVasomotor tone