B10 vascular wall biochem Flashcards
what are the diff types of capillaries
- continuous (basal membrane intact + tight junctions between endothelium) - BBB and muscle
- fenestrated (pores but continuous basement membrane) - glomerulus and endocrine glands
- sinusoids (pores AND discontinuous basement membrane) - spleen, liver, bone marrow
where do the components of a vascular wall originate and differentiate from?
- endothelial layer –> epithelial progenitor cells
- smooth muscle of T intima –> vascular progenitor cells (and slight transdifferentiation from endothelial progenitors)
- blood - hematopoietic stem cells
what determines if a vessel will determine into an artery or vein
-depending on the TFs expressed during differentiation
VEINS: express COUP-TF2
ARTERIES: express VEGF
(both silence the TF coding for the opposite vessel)
when does angiogenesis stop?
IT DOESNT - we still need it as adults + for remodelling and differentiation
!! this can be comromised by certain pathologies: diabetes disrupts it (decreasing flow to some areas) and tumours take advantage of it to create new blood vessels for selfnutrition
describe the general structure of endothelial cells ()
-simple squamous epithelium
-central nucleus and few organelles in perinuclear zone
-highly number of caveole (vesicles)
-receptors, transporters and junctions between their basolateral membranes
-high plasticity and paracrine/ endocrine properties
!! SOSS: weibel-palade bodies in cytoplasm: contain von willebrand factor and p-selectin which play a role in inflammation and homeostasis
functions of endothelial cells (4)
-inflammation response
-blood homeostasis
-vessel remodelling
-barrier, paracrine and endocrine functions
endothelial glycocalyx definition, structure + function
DEF: gel like layer coating luminal side of enodthelial cells, and regulator of endothelial functions
STRUCTURE: proteins, hyaluronic acid, GAGs, reservoir for molecules (SOD) -> NOT covalently bonded bcos this would take energy
!! SOS !! FUNCTION:
-endothelial gatekeeper determining vascular permeability
-repulse RBC
-decrease platelet interaction
-mechanotransducer of biochemical signals
what are the ways in which substances can pass through endothelial cells? (2)
- PARACELLULAR: passage through junctions (lateral domain), ATP independent
- TRANSCELLULAR: transport through the cell either via membrane transporters or via caveolae vesicles (uses ATP)
describe the vesicular transcellular pathway (6 STEPS)
- albumin (carrying target substance) binds to g60 receptor
- SRE kinase phosphorylates caveolin 1 (otherwise this cant happen)
- Activation of molecules that form vesicle (dynamin and intersectin)
- Interaction of RAS with the above molecules allows membrane to reorganise into activated vesicle
- vesicle docking via T/V-snares
- vesicle transport via microtubules from apical to basal membrane
types of junctions involved in basolateral endothelial membrane + main components
- TIGHT: occludins, claudins, ZO1/2/3, JAMs
- ADHERENS: VE cadherin complexes linked to actin via catenins
- FOCAL ADHESION: basolateral domain, integrins (a/b) interacting with cytoskeleton and proteins (fibrinogen / laminin / collagen)
Describe the mechanism by which endothelial cells can influence their permeability
-endocellular gap size (permeability) is controlled by actomyosin through the ratio of MLCK: MLCP, and mediated by diff factors
- inactivated: RAC/ cAMP/ sphingosine - active MLCP - dephosphorylation - less contractile force - barrier enhancement
- activated (eg inflammation) - RHO/ histamine/VEGF factors - active MLCK - phosphorylation - more contractile force - increased permeability
describe the role of platelets in endothelial barrier control
ROLE ON ADHERENS J:
- release endothelial trophogens(EGF/VEGF-A) which maintain AJ integrity
- Trophogens bind to respective receptors on endothelial membrane to induce a VEGF A response
- VEGF A paracrine response –> induces phosphorylation of VEGF receptor and increases stability of the junctions and cytoskeletal binding
!! HENCE: lack of platelets causes increased permeability and can cause hemmorage where RBC pass through endothelium
what are the 2 metabolic states of endothelial cells
- BASAL STATE: non adhesive and non thrombotic surface (VEGF - depending on its isoform)
- ACTIVATED STATE: increased expression of procoagulants and proinflammatory factors (cytokines and GFs)
!! transition between the two occurs under conditions of high stress (hypertension, turbulent flow, cytokines, pathogens, smoking and hypoxia)
!!! these two states are in physiological balance –> an issue occurs when there is HYPERPERMEABILITY: this can cause chronic inflammation, cancer, sepsis, etc
Describe the smooth muscle of vascular wall (VSM)
-not striated, no sarcomeres
-NO TROPONIN
-contain myosin and actin bundles
-found in vessels as sheets of SM strands
FUNCTION: vasodilation and constriction due to their contraction
!! action relies on presence of factors (hormones, nerve impulses) + environmental conditions bcos they do not contract voluntarily
Describe the contraction of VSM cells
-SLOW SUSTAINED AND TONIC CONTRACTIONS
-contractions (stretched state) reduce vessel lumen diameter, and relaxation (unstretched state) increase vessel lumen diameter
- Ca2+ entrance
- bind to calmodulin
- activation of MLCK
- phosphorylation of MLC2 which allows myosin actin cross bridge formation
- MLCP activated for relaxation which dephosphorylats myosin chain and allows breakage of cross bridges
!! ca2+ conc increase depends on extracellular transport (via voltage gated chanells) and intracellular stores in SER