FIGURE 1.

Potential mechanisms of ROS effects on VSMCs senescence and atherosclerosis. Both increased ALHD2 and decreased NOX4 promote ROS production, while vitamin D inhibits ROS production. All of these can regulate the senescence process of VSMCs, thus affecting the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. although oxidative DNA damage occurs in both genomic and mtDNA molecules, the propensity for mtDNA damage due to ROS is disputed. ALDH2, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2; NOX4, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 4; ROS, reactive oxygen species; mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA.