Hypertension: Multiple Membrane Malfunctions

In the past decade, two major developments have focused research interest on the cell membrane for the role it may play in the pathogenesis of hypertension. One development is based on the finding that the sensitivity of vascular smooth muscle increases in experimental hypertension. This increase is due to an altered membrane function of this tissue [1], It may be responsible for the increase in total peripheral resistance that causes the arterial pressure elevation. The second development is the evidence that the membrane abnormality in hypertension is present in many tissues [2, 3]. The membrane of the red blood cell has been mostly studied as a readily available marker for the disease and as a tool for study of the characteristics of the membrane malfunction.