Exosomes derived from hypoxic alveolar epithelial cells promote the phenotypic transformation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells via the Rap1 pathway

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is one of the important pathophysiological changes in chronic pulmonary heart disease. Hypoxia promotes the phenotypic transformation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Extracellular exosomes regulate vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switch.