Involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species in Hypertension: Its Roles, Production and Therapeutic Strategies

Hypertension is a major risk factor to human health. Many factors are known to involved in the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension, among which overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is closely associated with it in part by impairing endothelial function. In our laboratory, we found that ROS exert an important biological effect on the regulation of normal physiological responses of the cardiovascular system and the pathogenesis of hypertension. Namely, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide are over-produced under various pathological states which subsequently reduce the bioavailability of endothelium-derived nitric oxide, the vital molecule to maintain vasorelaxation. Understanding the roles of ROS in hypertension is thus important to develop new therapeutic strategies for the control of hypertension. The present review addresses the putative function of ROS in the pathogenesis of hypertension and focuses on the therapeutical potentials of the inhibitors of Xanthine oxidase that is a main source of ROS in diseased inflammatory conditions including hypertension.