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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 2.
Published in final edited form as: Circ Res. 2011 Sep 2;109(6):697–711. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.234914

Figure 3. Role of P in VSMC Calcification.

Figure 3

Elevated extracellular P affects multiple signalling pathways that increase the susceptibility of VSMC to calcification including decreased calcification inhibitors, increased ECM degradation, osteo/chondrogenic differentiation, apoptosis and vesicle release. Some of the effects of P are mediated through sodium dependent phosphate co-transporters, Pit-1 and Pit-2, potentially via P transport-dependent and -independent activities. Whether other receptors exist that mediate specific downstream signalling pathways in response to P is not yet known, but cannot be excluded.