血管内皮细胞发育及分子机制

心血管系统是胚胎发育中最先形成的器官之一,为机体提供营养成分和氧气。血管发育包括两部分,一是内皮祖细胞(Angioblast)聚集形成血管原基(Vasculogenesis),二是从已有血管形成新的血管分支(Angiogenesis)。此后由初级内皮细胞管召集平滑肌细胞形成功能性血管(Vessel maturation)。内皮祖细胞起源途径包括:由Flk1阳性中胚层细胞到成血成血管细胞(Hemangioblast)到血管内皮祖细胞;或由Flk1阳性中胚层细胞直接到血管内皮祖细胞。Flk1阳性中胚层细胞受到vegf、flk1、cloche、lycat、etsrp等关键基因或信号通路的调节,其中核心问题是原肠期中胚层如何形成Flk1阳性中胚层细胞及进一步分化成血管内皮祖细胞和成血血管细胞。文章集中评述内皮祖细胞发育、分化及其分子遗传调控机制,并展望本领域未来发展方向。

Vascular endothelial cell development and underlying mechanisms

The cardiovascular system is one of the first organs formed during embryogenesis.Vessel development in-volves generating primary vascular endothelial tubes by aggregation of angioblasts(vasculogenesis),creating a vascular network through endothelial sprouting(angiogenesis),and pruning primary vascular tubes by recruiting smooth muscle cells to the vessel walls(vessel maturation).Angioblast,the endothelial progenitor,is generated from hemangioblasts that are derived from the Flk1+ mesodermal cells,or directly from the Flk1+ mesodermal cells.Although several factors such as vegf,flk1,cloche,lycat and estrp are essential for angioblast development,much of the signaling pathways underlying the derivation of angioblasts from the hemangioblasts or Flk1+ mesodermal cells remain unknown.This review will summarize our current knowledge,challenge,and future directions on molecular and cellular mechanisms of endothelial cell develop-ment.