Retinoids and cell growth in the cardiovascular system.

Deficiency of vitamin A and its retinoid metabolites has been associated with a number of developmental abnormalities in the cardiovascular system. Many of these effects are mimicked by targeted deletion of retinoic acid receptors in the embryo. Retinoids also display anti-growth activity in fully differentiated cardiac and vascular cells. These activities together with favorable effects on the clotting mechanism suggest that retinoids may prove useful in the management of hypertrophic/hyperproliferative disorders of the heart and vascular wall.