血管内皮细胞的结构和功能

血管内皮细胞是一个多功能细胞。本文重点介绍血管内皮细胞的形态结构、生理功能及在抗血栓中的作用。     

传代内皮细胞形态和功能变化的关系

现在内皮细胞体外培养技术已在医学实验中得以日渐广泛的应用,为了更为合理地选择传代内皮细胞来进行各种研究,本实验结合了 传代内皮细胞在相差显微镜下的形态学改变及图象分析技术和蛋白质分泌功能的变化,探讨了传代内皮细胞形态和功能变化的关系。结果显示,传代内皮细胞存在着形态和功能相对稳定的阶段,在此阶段的几代细胞是作为实验选材的理想对象。而非稳定阶段的各代细胞间形态和功能都存有显著性差异,不应作为实验选材。     

内皮细胞凋亡与冠心病

一、概述血管内皮细胞位于动脉血管腔的表面 ,内皮细胞不仅是血流与血管壁之间的屏障结构 ,而且有调节动脉血管舒缩、凝血系统平衡、血小板聚集、单核细胞粘附和促进新生血管生长等功能 ,它是维持血管正常功能的关键因素。内皮细胞凋亡是受一系列基因有序调控的、平抑内皮细胞增殖的一种细胞主动死亡方式。内皮细胞凋亡与增殖之间的动态平衡维持内皮细胞数量的稳定和血管功能的正常[1] 。然而内皮细胞凋亡过度却是内皮细胞功能失调的始动环节。冠心病的发病是多因素作用的共同结果。其中内皮细胞过度凋亡在冠心病的发病中起着重要的作用。Ｈ…     

粘附蛋白与内皮细胞

RGD是粘附蛋白与细胞接合的活性部分之一。血小板精白蛋Ⅱb/Ⅲa是识别RGD的受体家族,可以与RGD结合。纤维蛋白(原)能特异地刺激内皮细胞合成和分泌PGI2及t-PA。     

内皮细胞的免疫学功能

本文通过对血管内皮细胞免疫学特性有关方面的文献综述,证明内皮细胞表面存在ABO血型抗原和HLA抗原的正常表达。同时比较全面地介绍了近年来用ABC-免疫酶标方法检测内皮细胞表面T淋巴细胞分化抗原的研究进展,以及某些疾病时内皮细胞表面抗原异常表达的研究动向,提示血管内皮细胞的免疫学功能与整个机体免疫应答调节有关,其表型改变与某些疾病发病有关。     

牛视网膜微血管内皮细胞的培养和鉴定

牛视网膜微血管内皮细胞的培养和鉴定ＣＵＬＴＵＲＥＡＮＤＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＩＺＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＢＯＶＩＮＥＲＥＴＩＮＡＬＣＡＰＩＬＬＡＲＹＥＮＤＯＴＨＥＬＩＡＬＣＥＬＬ关键词内皮细胞微血管视网膜体外培养牛ＫｅｙｗｏｒｄｓＥｎｄｏｔｈｅｌｉａｌｃｅｌｓ,...     

血管内皮细胞的激活

血管内皮细胞被多种炎症介质激活后,主要表现为３个方面的变化：（１）细胞收缩变圆,细胞连续间出现裂隙,内皮层通透性增高;（２）细胞膜表面表达一些新的蛋白质抗原,如主要组织相容性抗原和多种细胞粘附分子,影响炎症、免疫和肿瘤转移过程;（３）细胞合成分泌对凝血、纤溶系统和血管张力有调节作用的活性因子以及多种炎症介质,影响机体内环境的稳定,参与某些疾病的发病过程。     

血管内皮细胞的生物学功能

本文概述了近年来国内外对血管内皮细胞生物学功能的最新认识,指出血管内皮细胞除作为血液和组织间物质转运的屏障外,最主要的功能是使循环血液保持流动状态,防止血栓形成,文章同时强调了血管内皮细胞在生物学、医学研究领域中所起的重要作用。     

Role of the endothelium on arterial vasomotion

It is well-known that cyclic variations of the vascular diameter, a phenomenon called vasomotion, are induced by synchronous calcium oscillations of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the role of the endothelium on vasomotion is unclear. Some experimental studies claim that the endothelium is necessary for synchronization and vasomotion, whereas others report rhythmic contractions in the absence of an intact endothelium. Moreover, endothelium-derived factors have been shown to abolish vasomotion by desynchronizing the calcium signals in SMCs. By modeling the calcium dynamics of a population of SMCs coupled to a population of endothelial cells, we analyze the effects of an SMC vasoconstrictor stimulation on endothelial cells and the feedback of endothelium-derived factors. Our results show that the endothelium essentially decreases the SMCs calcium level and may move the SMCs from a steady state to an oscillatory domain, and vice versa. In the oscillatory domain, a population of coupled SMCs exhibits synchronous calcium oscillations. Outside the oscillatory domain, the coupled SMCs present only irregular calcium flashings arising from noise modeling stochastic opening of channels. Our findings provide explanations for the published contradictory experimental observations.     

Vascular endothelium in cancer

The vascular endothelium plays an essential role during organogenesis and in tissue homeostasis. Growing evidence also supports its essential and complex role in tumour biology and cancer progression. In particular, excessive proliferation and transformation or dysfunction of endothelial cells leads to pathological (lymph)angiogenesis or vascular malfunctions, which are hallmarks of neoplastic and malignant disorders. Reciprocal interactions between endothelial cells and the local tumour microenvironment may regulate tumour progression and resistance to anti-cancer therapies in a tumour-type-specific manner. This work was supported by Cancer Research UK.     

Vascular endothelium in atherosclerosis

Their strategic location between blood and tissue and their constitutive properties allow endothelial cells (EC) to monitor the transport of plasma molecules, by employing bidirectional receptor-mediated and receptor-independent transcytosis and endocytosis, and to regulate vascular tone, cellular cholesterol and lipid homeostasis. These cells are also involved in signal transduction, immunity, inflammation and haemostasis. Cardiovascular risk factors, such as hyperlipaemia/dyslipidaemia trigger the molecular machinery of EC to respond to insults by modulation of their constitutive functions followed by dysfunction and ultimately by injury and apoptosis. The gradual activation of EC consists initially in the modulation of two constitutive functions: (1) permeability, i.e. increased transcytosis of lipoproteins, and (2) biosynthetic activity, i.e. enhanced synthesis of the basement membrane and extracellular matrix. The increased transcytosis and the reduced efflux of β-lipoproteins (βLp) lead to their retention within the endothelial hyperplasic basal lamina as modified lipoproteins (MLp) and to their subsequent alteration (oxidation, glycation, enzymatic modifications). MLp generate chemoattractant and inflammatory molecules, triggering EC dysfunction (appearance of new adhesion molecules, secretion of chemokines, cytokines), characterised by monocyte recruitment, adhesion, diapedesis and residence within the subendothelium. In time, EC in the athero-prone areas alter their net negative surface charge, losing their non-thrombogenic ability, become loaded with lipid droplets and turn into foam cells. Prolonged and/or repeated exposure to cardiovascular risk factors can ultimately exhaust the protective effect of the endogenous anti-inflammatory system within EC. As a consequence, EC may progress to senescence, lose their integrity and detach into the circulation.     

Vascular endothelium: the battlefield of dengue viruses

Increased vascular permeability without morphological damage to the capillary endothelium is the cardinal feature of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Extensive plasma leakage in various tissue spaces and serous cavities of the body, including the pleural, pericardial and peritoneal cavities in patients with DHF, may result in profound shock. Among various mechanisms that have been considered include immune complex disease, T-cell-mediated, antibodies cross-reacting with vascular endothelium, enhancing antibodies, complement and its products, various soluble mediators including cytokines, selection of virulent strains and virus virulence, but the most favoured are enhancing antibodies and memory T cells in a secondary infection resulting in cytokine tsunami. Whatever the mechanism, it ultimately targets vascular endothelium (making it a battlefield) leading to severe dengue disease. Extensive recent work has been done in vitro on endothelial cell monolayer models to understand the pathophysiology of vascular endothelium during dengue virus (DV) infection that may be translated to help understand the pathogenesis of DHF/DSS. The present review provides a broad overview of the effects of DV infection and the associated host responses contributing towards alterations in vascular endothelial cell physiology and damage that may be responsible for the DHF/DSS.     

Antiphase oscillations of endothelium and smooth muscle [Ca2+]i in vasomotion of rat mesenteric small arteries

The mechanisms leading to vasomotion in the presence of noradrenaline and inhibitors of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase were investigated in isolated rat mesenteric small arteries. Isobaric diameter and isometric force were measured together with membrane potential in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Calcium in the endothelial cells and SMC was imaged with confocal microscopy. In the presence of noradrenaline and cyclopiazonic acid, ryanodine-insensitive oscillations in tone were produced. The frequency was about 1 min(-1) and amplitude about 70% of the maximal tone. The amplitude was reduced by indomethacin and increased with L-NAME. Vasomotion was inhibited by nifedipine and by 40 mM potassium. The frequency was increased and amplitude decreased by removal of the endothelium and by application of charybdotoxin and apamin. The vasomotion was associated with in-phase oscillations of membrane potential in endothelial cells and SMC and oscillations of [Ca2+]i that were in near anti-phase. We suggest a working model for the generation of oscillation based on a membrane oscillator where ion channels in both endothelial cells and SMC interact via a current running between the two cell types through myoendothelial gap junctions, which sets up a near anti-phase oscillation of [Ca2+]i in the two cell types.     

Vascular endothelium (review). I. General morphology. 2B: phylogenesis of the vascular endothelium

The phylogenetic descent of vascular endothelium from mesenchyme--derived precursors is described related to the development of a vessel--bound microcirculation. Endothelial precursors in primitive animals may have migrated into tissue clefts gradually forming vascular tubes. True microcirculatory vessels at first appear in the nemertines, a closed vascular system is present in some annelids whereas in arthropods an open lacunar system predominates. The first appearance of true endotheliocytes is under discussion; the author gives some evidence that it is present already in some annelids. Precursor of the endothelial wall of vessels may be the so called "Leydig's membrane", covered with amoebocytes and other mesenchymal cells. The molluscs exhibit many variants of endothelium. In the fishes, the vascular system begins to split into a blood and a lymphatic system. Obviously the specialization of endothelium correlates with the level of evolution. Despite the complicated course, the evolution of endothelium may be regarded as monophyletic.     

Vascular endothelium does not activate CD4+ direct allorecognition in graft rejection

Expression of MHC class II by donor-derived APCs has been shown to be important for allograft rejection. It remains controversial, however, whether nonhemopoietic cells, such as vascular endothelium, possess Ag-presenting capacity to activate alloreactive CD4(+) T lymphocytes. This issue is important in transplantation, because, unlike hemopoietic APCs, allogeneic vascular endothelium remains present for the life of the organ. In this study we report that cytokine-activated vascular endothelial cells are poor APCs for allogeneic CD4(+) T lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo despite surface expression of MHC class II. Our in vitro observations were extended to an in vivo model of allograft rejection. We have separated the allostimulatory capacity of endothelium from that of hemopoietic APCs by using bone marrow chimeras. Hearts that express MHC class II on hemopoietic APCs are acutely rejected in a mean of 7 days regardless of the expression of MHC class II on graft endothelium. Alternatively, hearts that lack MHC class II on hemopoietic APCs are acutely rejected at a significantly delayed tempo regardless of the expression of MHC class II on graft endothelium. Our data suggest that vascular endothelium does not play an important role in CD4(+) direct allorecognition and thus does not contribute to the vigor of acute rejection.     

Vascular adhesion protein 1 mediates binding of immunotherapeutic effector cells to tumor endothelium

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can be used as an immunotherapeutic tool to treat cancer. Success of this therapy depends on the homing and killing capacity of in vitro-activated and -expanded TIL. Vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) is an endothelial molecule that mediates binding of lymphocytes to vessels of inflamed tissue. Here, we studied whether VAP-1 is involved in binding of TIL, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, and NK cells to vasculature of the cancer tissue. We demonstrated that VAP-1 is expressed on the endothelium of cancer vasculature. The intensity and number of positive vessels varied greatly between the individual specimens, but it did not correlate with the histological grade of the cancer. Using an in vitro adhesion assay we showed that VAP-1 mediates adhesion of TIL, LAK, and NK cells to cancer vasculature. Treatment of the tumor sections with anti-VAP-1 Abs diminished the number of adhesive cells by 60%. When binding of different effector cell types was compared, it was evident that different cancer tissues supported the adhesion of TIL to a variable extent and LAK cells were more adhesive than TIL and NK cells to tumor vasculature. These data suggest that VAP-1 is an important interplayer in the antitumor response. Thus, by up-regulating the expression of VAP-1 in tumor vasculature, it can be possible to improve the effectiveness of TIL therapy.