Arterial remodeling and plasma volume expansion in caveolin-1 deficient mice.
Caveolin- 1 ( Cav- 1) is essential for the morphology of membrane caveolae and exerts a negative influence on a number of signaling systems, including nitric oxide ( NO) production and activity of the MAP kinase cascade. In the vascular system, ablation of caveolin- 1 may thus be expected to cause arterial dilatation and increased vessel wall mass ( remodeling). This was tested in Cav- 1 knockout