Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Specific Deletion of Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8 Prevents AngII-Promoted Hypertension and Cardiovascular Hypertrophy.

This study reveals a novel factor included in hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling. We found that VSMC specific deletion of ANGPTL8 could lower blood pressure approximately15-25 mmHg. Besides its role in regulating blood pressure, ANGPTL8 knockout also attenuated cardiovascular remodeling and fibrosis in hypertensive mice. These new findings indicate that ANGPTL8 in VSMC is involved in the regulating of hypertension and associated cardiovascular hypertrophy, thus suggesting that ANGPTL8 might be a new therapeutic target for hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling.