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Skeletal Muscle Vascular Function: A Counterbalance of Insulin Action
Author(s) -
Mahmoud Abeer M.,
Brown Michael D.,
Phillips Shane A.,
Haus Jacob M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
microcirculation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.793
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1549-8719
pISSN - 1073-9688
DOI - 10.1111/micc.12205
Subject(s) - hyperinsulinemia , insulin resistance , endocrinology , medicine , insulin , vasodilation , vascular smooth muscle , biology , smooth muscle
Insulin is a vasoactive hormone that regulates vascular homeostasis by maintaining balance of endothelial‐derived NO and ET ‐1. Although there is general agreement that insulin resistance and the associated hyperinsulinemia disturb this balance, the vascular consequences for hyperinsulinemia in isolation from insulin resistance are still unclear. Presently, there is no simple answer for this question, especially in a background of mixed reports examining the effects of experimental hyperinsulinemia on endothelial‐mediated vasodilation. Understanding the mechanisms by which hyperinsulinemia induces vascular dysfunction is essential in advancing treatment and prevention of insulin resistance‐related vascular complications. Thus, we review literature addressing the effects of hyperinsulinemia on vascular function. Furthermore, we give special attention to the vasoregulatory effects of hyperinsulinemia on skeletal muscle, the largest insulin‐dependent organ in the body. This review also characterizes the differential vascular effects of hyperinsulinemia on large conduit vessels versus small resistance microvessels and the effects of metabolic variables in an effort to unravel potential sources of discrepancies in the literature. At the cellular level, we provide an overview of insulin signaling events governing vascular tone. Finally, we hypothesize a role for hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in the development of CVD .