Vascular Endothelium - In Health and Disease Flashcards
What are the 3 main layers of the vascular endothelium?
- Tunica adventitia
- Tunica media
- Tunia intima
What is found within the tunica adventitia (2)?
- Vaso vasorum
- Nerves
Nerves
Which types of fibres form the tunica media (2)?
- Smooth muscle cells
- Elastic fibres
What is the tunica intima?
- Endothelium
Which cells support the venule and capillary endothelium?
- Mural cells (pericytes)
What surrounds the capillary (2)?
- Basement membrane
- Pericapillary cells (pericytes)
What is the function of the mural cells (pericytes)?
- Maintains homeostatic & haemostatic function
What is endothelial heterogeneity?
- Endothelial cells and microvasculature have organotypic (tissue specific) properties and expression profiles
The endothelial phenotype is dependent on location.
Which types of proteins are involved in cell adhesion and the formation of the monolayer?
E-cadherins
Which process arrests cell growth when cells come in contact with each other?
- Contact inhibition
What are the 3 types of endothelium?
- Fenestrated continuous endothelium
- Non-fenestrated continuous endothelium
- Discontinuous
Where are fenestrated continuous endothelium found (2)?
- Kidney glomerulus
- Gastrointestinal tract
To facilitate filtration and absorption
Where are the non-fenestrated continuous endothelium found (4)?
- Muscle
- Lung
- Skin
- Blood brain barrier
To regulate diffusion
What type of endothelium is found within the liver?
- Discontinuous
What type of layer is formed by the endothelium?
- Monolayer
What are the main functions of the microvascular endothelium? (6)
- Release angiocrine factors
- Regulate permeability of vessels
- Regulate immune response
- Angiogenesis
- Vascular tone
- Haemostasis and thrombosis
Which factor is secreted by the endothelium and mediates platelet adhesion?
- Von Willebrand Factor
What is the resting equilibrium in endothelial cells?
A balance between:
* Anti-inflammatory
* Anti-thrombotic
* Anti-proliferative factors
VS
* Pro-inflammatory
* Pro-thrombotic
* Pro-angiogenic factors
Describe the proliferation rate in endothelial cells
- Low proliferation rate unless angiogenesis is induced
What factors contribute towards endothelial cell dysfunction (10 / know 5)?
- Hyperchoelsterolemia
- Diabetes mellitus / metabolic syndrom
- Hypertension
- Sex-hormonal imbalance
- Ageing
- Oxidative stress
- Pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Infectious agents
- Environmental toxins
- Haemodynamic forces
Which factors activate the endothelium (7)?
- OxLDL
- High glucose
- High blood pressure
- Inflammation
- Mechanical stress
- Viruses
- Smoking
What are the responses of the activated endothelium (4)?
- Thrombosis
- Senescence
- Permeability
- Leukocyte recruitment
Senescence: loss of a cell’s power of division and growth
What is a marker of endothelial injury?
Circulating endothelial cells
What are the matrix products involved in angiogenesis (5)?
- Fibronectin
- Laminin
- Collagen
- Proteoglycans
- Proteases
What are the growth factors concerned with angiogenesis (3)?
- Insulin-like growth factor
- Transforming growth factor
- Colony stimulating factor
Which adhesion molecules exist on the endothelium and promote neutrophil migration?
- Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)
- Vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)
Selectins - P-selectin
Which inflammatory mediators are secreted by the endothelium (5)?
- IL-1
- IL-6
- IL-8
- Leukotrienes
- MHC-II
What are the vasoconstricting factors released by the endothelium (5)?
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzymes (ACE)
- Thromboxane A2
- Leukotrienes
- Free radicals
- Endothelin
Which type of factor is endothelin?
- Vasoconstricting factor
Which type of factor is thromboxane A2?
- Vasoconstricting factor
What are the 2 vasodilator factors released by the endothelium?
- Nitric oxide
- Prostacyclin
What are the procoagulant factors that are released by the endothelium (6)?
- Von Willebrand factor
- Thromboxane A2
- Thromboplastin
- Factor V
- Platelet activating factor
- Plasminogen activator inhibitor