Abstract
Introduction: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is critical in thrombus formation and inflammation. Although these are essential pathological features of cardiovascular diseases, the effects of PAI-1 inhibition against the development of cardiovascular remodeling have not been well studied.
Areas covered: The review explores the therapeutic value of PAI-1 in the progression of various cardiovascular diseases. To date, the authors have reported that a novel PAI-1 inhibitor suppressed the development of experimental autoimmune myocarditis, vascular remodeling after arterial injury, and heart transplant rejection using rodent models. Pathologically, the PAI-1 inhibitor improved histological remodeling of myocardium and arteries with suppression of inflammation and thrombus formation.
Expert opinion: PAI-1 inhibitors appear to exhibit potent effects on the prevention of adverse tissue remodeling. However, PAI-1 is a multifunctional protein and more research is needed to further elucidate the association between PAI-1 expression and cardiovascular disease.
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