The Role of Gap Junction in Regulating Vascular Function and Its Relationship with Hypertension

Gap junction (GJ), also called as gap connection, communication connection, is a special membrane structure which consisted of connecting channels in two adjacent cells. Intercellular communication can be divided into indirect and direct communication. Direct communication is a cell-to-cell communication mediated by GJ between adjacent cells. Direct communication is also called as gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC). Adjacent cells exchange information, energy, and substances by using direct communication. They participate in the metabolic coupling of cell-to-cell substances exchanges and the electrical coupling of electrical signals. They play important roles in regulating physiological processes including metabolism, homeostasis, proliferation, and vasodilation of vascular smooth muscle so on. This article will focus on introducing the progresses of studies on the morphology, structure and function of GJ in details. Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. A blood pressure higher than 130 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) is defined as hypertension. Hypertension and heart disease are global diseases. Hypertension was correlated with many factors, which contributed to hypertension by many mechanisms including sodium, potassium, Gap junction and so on. The studies on GJ and hypertension were also introduced in details, such as hypertension and expression of Cx, Ca²⁺ and GJ, Genetic Polymorphism of Cx40 and Hypertension.