Cardiovascular Biology

Cardiovascular Disease | Cardiovascular Biology Research Areas | Full List of Cardiovascular Targets | Resources | Background

The cardiovascular, or circulatory, system is a closed elastic circuit consisting of the heart, blood vessels (arteries, capillaries and veins) and the blood. Key functions of the cardiovascular system include:

Pumping oxygenated blood to tissues
Reabsorbing carbon dioxide waste
Maintaining body pH, temperature, cellular salt and water content
Transporting hormones and nutrients

Cardiovascular Disease Research

Browse products by cardiovascular disease type:

Arrhythmia Research	Heart Failure Research	Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Research	Thrombosis & Hemostasis Research
Atherosclerosis Research	Hypertension Research	Myocardial Infarction Research

Cardiovascular Biology Research Areas

Browse products by cardiovascular biology research type:

Angiogenesis	Epigenetics	Ion Channels and Regulators	Steroid Hormone Receptors and Regulators
Bioactive Lipids and Receptors	Extracellular Matrix and Fibrosis	Oxidative Stress	Vascular Endothelium
Cardiovascular System Development	Eicosanoids and Regulators	Protein/Peptide Hormones and Regulators	Vascular Smooth Muscle
Coagulation	Inflammation	Signal Transduction

All Cardiovascular Targets

Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptors Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptor Products	Endothelin Receptors Endothelin Receptor Products	Phosphodiesterases Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors	Protein Disulfide Isomerase Protein Disulfide Isomerase Inhibitors Protein Disulfide Isomerase/P4HB
Adrenergic Receptors Adrenergic Receptor Products	Ion Pumps/Transporters Ion Pump/Transporter Products	Piezo Channels Piezo Channel Modulators Piezo Channel Inhibitors Piezo Channel Activators Other Piezo Channel Compounds	Purinergic (P2X) Receptors Purinergic (P2X) Receptor Agonists Purinergic (P2X) Receptor Antagonists
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Compounds	LXR-like Receptors LXR alpha LXR beta LXR-like Receptor Agonists LXR-like Receptor Inverse Agonists LXR-like Receptor Antagonists	Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 PAI-1 Inhibitors Serpin E1/PAI-1	Purinergic (P2Y) Receptors Purinergic (P2Y) Receptor Agonists Purinergic (P2Y) Receptor Antagonists Purinergic (P2Y) Receptor Modulators Additional P2Y Receptor Compounds
Angiotensin Receptors Angiotensin Receptor Products	Matrix Metalloproteases Matrix Metalloprotease Inhibitors Additional MMP Products	Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) Receptors PAFR Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) Receptor Agonists Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) Receptor Antagonists	Urotensin-II Receptors Urotensin-II R Urotensin-II Receptor Antagonists
Apelin Receptors Apelin Receptor Agonists Apelin Receptor Antagonists APJ	Nitric Oxide Signaling Nitric Oxide Signaling Products	Prostanoid Receptors Prostanoid Receptor Agonists Prostanoid Receptor Antagonists Additional Prostanoid Receptor Compounds	Vasopressin Receptors V1a Vasopressin R/AVPR1A V1b Vasopressin R/AVPR1B V2 Vasopressin R/AVPR2 Vasopressin Receptor Agonists Vasopressin Receptor Antagonists
Bradykinin Receptors Bradykinin RB1/BDKRB1 Bradykinin RB2/BDKRB2 Bradykinin Receptor Agonists Bradykinin Receptor Antagonists	Oxidative Phosphorylation Oxidative Phosphorylation Antagonists Oxidative Phosphorylation Inhibitors Oxidative Phosphorylation Activators Oxidative Phosphorylation Uncouplers	Protease-Activated Receptors PAR1 PAR2 PAR3 PAR4 Protease-Activated Receptor Agonists Protease-Activated Receptor Antagonists Protease-Activated Receptor Inhibitors	VIP Receptors VIP Receptor Agonists VIP Receptor Antagonists VIPR1/VPAC1 VIPR2/VPAC2
Cell Adhesion Molecules Cell Adhesion Molecule Antagonists Cell Adhesion Molecule Inhibitors	Oxygenases/Oxidases Oxygenase/Oxidase Products

Resources

Reagents for Cardiovascular Biology Research

Discover the R&D Systems portfolio of products for cardiovascular research in this brochure including proteins, antibodies, small molecules, ELISA kits, and more.

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Atherosclerosis Disease Progression

Explore the key cellular responses and biomarkers involved in atherosclerosis disease progression with this R&D Systems life science poster.

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Cardiovascular Biology Background

Cardiovascular Physiology and Function

Blood and lymphatic vessels are lined with a single layer of endothelial cells which mediate nutrient exchange, respond to blood-borne factors, and are the initial contact site for circulating immune cells during inflammation. Arterial vessels are surrounded by a vascular smooth muscle layer which provides physical support to withstand pulsatile blood flow from the heart and also serves to regulate blood pressure through contraction and relaxation. Veins and lymphatic vessels contain valves to endure directional fluid flow. The elastic lamina and adventitia layers provide additional support to blood and lymphatic vessels.

The cardiovascular system is a critical transporter of materials throughout the body. Endocrine glands secrete peptide and small molecule hormones into the circulation to regulate processes in distant tissues of the body. Immune cells circulate in the blood and extravasate through the vascular endothelium to carry out immune reactions at inflammatory sites. They subsequently traffic through lymphatic vessels to regional lymph nodes and return to the circulation to support systemic immunity.

Physical damage to the vasculature triggers activation of the coagulation cascade to induce clot formation and minimize blood loss. Metastasis of solid tumors relies on the circulation for dissemination of tumor cells to secondary sites in malignant cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for about 30% of deaths worldwide. The term refers to a collection of diseases which affect the heart and blood vessels. These conditions can be genetic in nature or triggered by infection, but the major influences on the development of cardiovascular disease are environmental factors including a high saturated fat intake and a sedentary lifestyle.

One of the most common cardiovascular diseases is atherosclerosis - a condition which is characterized by the buildup of fatty deposits within arterial walls and which can trigger heart attack or stroke through the formation of a blood clot. Damage to the heart muscle caused by a heart attack can alter the contractility of the heart, leading to irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. A reduced ability of the heart to pump blood around the body can eventually lead to the development of heart failure. Due to the association of cardiovascular disorders, early treatment of these disorders is preferable.

Surgical interventions such as coronary artery bypass and artificial pacemakers are available to treat patients with cardiovascular disease, though the treatments themselves may worsen the overall function of the heart. For many patients, pharmacological intervention is therefore preferable to invasive surgery, particularly for the treatment of early atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. For example, a major breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular disease was the development of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) for the treatment of raised cholesterol. However, therapy for other diseases such as heart failure and advanced atherosclerosis is lacking and demands further research.