Mechanisms regulating the vascular smooth muscle Na H exchanger (NHE-1) indiabetes

Vascular disease is a major component of the complications associated with diabetes. The pathology involves hypertrophy and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the production and modification of extracellular ma trix. The sodium/hydrogen exchanger has been widely implicated in the growt h of multiple cell types, including vascular smooth muscle. Increases in so dium/hydrogen exchange activity serve as an effector or at least as an indi cator of vascular activation. This article is concerned with the role of th e biochemical abnormalities of diabetes exerting their pathological effects on vascular smooth muscle cells via altering sodium/hydrogen exchange acti vity.