Roles of Circadian Nuclear Receptor RORα and REV-ERBα in Vascular Pathophysiology

Human physiological activities follow regular circadian rhythms which are under the control of clock genes. The nuclear receptors RORα and REV-ERBα are core components of the clock machinery, playing an important role in keeping proper timing of the clock. Furthermore, RORα and REV-ERBα regulate glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, vascular inflammation, and fibrinolysis. A large number of studies have shown that abnormal circadian rhythm is an independent risk factor for vascular dysfunction. In this paper, we focus on the roles of RORα and REV-ERBα in circadian rhythm and vascular homeostasis, and review the latest research progress on the roles of RORα and REV-ERBα in the vascular pathophysiological function.