Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2008
Marked impairment of protease-activated receptor type 1-mediated vasodilation and fibrinolysis in cigarette smokers: smoking, thrombin, and vascular responses in vivo.
We sought to test the hypothesis that cigarette smoking adversely alters protease-activated receptor type 1 (PAR-1)-mediated vascular effects in vivo in humans. ⋯ Cigarette smoking causes marked impairment of PAR-1-mediated endothelial vasomotor and fibrinolytic function. Relative arterial stasis and near abolition of t-PA release will strongly promote clot propagation and vessel occlusion. These findings suggest a major contribution of impaired endothelial PAR-1 action to the increased atherothrombotic risk of cigarette smokers.