Vascular Disease 1- Leah (6)- Arteriosclerosis* Flashcards
List the three layers of an arterial wall.
What are they comprised of?
1) intima, made up of endothelium (blood/ tissue barrier)
2) Media, made up of Muscle “M”
3) Adventitia, made up of CT, nerves, vasa vasorum
* adventitia is outermost*
Describe the function of the vasa vasorum:
Supplies blood to the outer 1/2 –> 2/3 of a vessel
List the four types of arteries:
- elastic
- muscular
- small arteries (less than 2mm diameter)
- arterioles
Describe elastic artery properties.
Which arteries are classified as elastic?
- Large arteries that actively expand and contract (recoil) at systole and diastole
- Elastic, hence rich in elastic tissue
- Aorta and its large braches are elastic
Describe muscular arteries.
Which arteries are classified as muscular?
- rich in smooth muscle
1. smaller aortic branches (carotids)
2. coronary
3. renal vessels
Function of arterioles:
- maintain TPR
- transition blood from pulsatile –> steady state as enters capillary bed
- reduce pressure and velocity of blood
Describe makeup of capillaries: wall, diameter, xs surface area?
-made up of intima/ endothelial cells only
(lacks adventitia and media)
-diameter of a single RBC
(smallest individual vessel types)
-largest overall cross sectional area of all vessel tpyes
Preferred site of inflammation in vasculature?
post capillary venules
Describe structure of veins: lumen? wall thickness? special features?
- large lumens
- thin walls
- have valves to direct flow (loss of valves = venous insufficiency/ varicose veins)
Describe structure of wall (1) and function of lymphatic vessels (3):
- Thin walled, endothelium lined
- Fxn: drain interstitial fluid
- disseminate disease*
- play a role in edema*
Normal function of endothelial cells in vessels (5):
- prevent thrombosis (maintain blood/ tissue interface)
- metabolize hormones
- regulate immune/ inflammatory processes
- modulate resistance
- affect growth of other cells (mostly SMCs)
Most “biochemically” active vascular cells
Normal function of SMCs in vessels (3):
- **VASCULAR REPAIR:
- synthesize ECM/ CT***
- migration/ proliferation
- contraction/ dilation
**Most “physically” active vascular cells.
How might tight endothelial junctions be loosened in the vasculature (2)?
What is the result?
- HTN or HISTAMINE most commonly loosen tight junctions.
- Result: EDEMA–> loss of leukocytes, proteins, and/or electrolytes
Basic definition of activation and dysfunction of endothelial cells:
Gaining some inducible property
(activation - good property; dysfunction- bad property)
*Not easy to distinguish the two processes, not testable
Describe abilities that an endothelial cell may gain during activation (4)
- production of adhesive molecule
- cytokines
- coagulants/ anticoagulants
- vasoactivators etc.
Describe abilities that an endothelial cell may gain during dysfunction:
adhesive/ thrombogenic properties
List three disease processes that involve endothelial cell dysfunction:
1) Hypertension
2) Thrombus
3) Atherosclerosis
Describe three events that may lead to vascular smooth muscle injury:
- mechanical (angioplasty)
- immunologic (i.e. transplant arteriosclerosis)
- multifactoral (atherosclerosis)
“neointimal formation” may be used to describe?
“new intima” –> intimal thickening; a response to injury
Result of intimal thickening:
some stenosis and occlusion, but less so than atherosclerosis
What are three steps of intimal thickening after injury is induced?
1) recruitment of SM–> intima either from adjacent tissue or circulating precursors
2) SMC mitosis and proliferation
3) SMC elaborate intimal ECM; create new CT