RECENT ADVANCES IN ENDOTHELIN RESEARCH ON CARDIOVASCULAR AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS

Since the quite exciting discovery in 1988 of endothelin (ET) in the culture medium of aortic endothelial cells by Yanagisawa and coworkers [1], evidence has accumulated to support its important roles in the regulation of blood pressure and body fluid homeostasis and its pathophysiological significance in various cardiovascular diseases. The discovery of ET and the opponent substances including nitric oxide [2] and natriuretic peptides [3] during the last decade was epoch-making in the field of “Cardiovascular Endocrinology”. © 1994, The Japan Endocrine Society. All rights reserved.