Role of nifedipine and hydrochlorothiazide in MAPK activation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and apoptosis

Background Once hypertension is established, increased mechanical stretch stress becomes a leading cause of vascular remodeling. Clinical antihypertension guidelines demonstrate that antihypertension drugs prevent vascular remodeling in hypertensive patients mainly by lowering blood pressure, suggesting an indirect way of reducing the effects of stretch stress (hypertension). Whether these drugs can directly block the effects of the stretch stress on vascular remodeling has not been reported to date. This study was designed to answer this question and explore the underlying mechanisms.