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Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells build the interface between liver tissue and the portal vein originating in the gastrointestinal tract. Only substances with a specific transporter are picked up by the cerebral endothelial cells and are able to enter the brain.Īt the other end of the spectrum, the most permeable endothelial cells of the mammalian body are located in the liver ( Poisson et al., 2017). This structure is called the blood-brain barrier and the tight cell-to-cell junctions prevent most paracellular diffusion. The most rigid separation between vessels and tissue can be found in the brain ( Stamatovic et al., 2008). The communication between these cell types allows for organ development, autoregulation, and adaptation. In the heart, three cell types enable the lifelong function of this continuously working organ: endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and cardiomyocytes ( Lim et al., 2014). A dysfunctional NO-pathway is thought to be involved in cardiovascular disease. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator and exerts its effects by relaxation of smooth muscle cells ( Zhao et al., 2015). The soluble gas nitric oxide is essential for the regulation of the cells associated with blood vessel function ( Tousoulis et al., 2012). Depending on the tissue and organ, endothelial cells can vary from each other. Here, endothelial cells are of tremendous importance for the exchange of substances including oxygen, water, and lipids, as well as in the transfer of carbon dioxide and urea from a tissue to a vessel, and vice versa. This also applies to endothelial cells in capillaries. All endothelial cells share certain molecular characteristics: they test positive for von Willebrand factor (vWF), as well as for CD31 glycoprotein, and they test negative for smooth muscle alpha-actin. The Tunica media is made up of smooth muscle cells, and the Tunica intima, which contains endothelial cells, lines the lumen of the blood vessel. An artery consists of three layers (see illustration above): On the outside, it is sheathed with the Tunica externa, a type of connective tissue. Where are endothelial cells found?Įndothelial cells can be found in all large vessels, namely arteries and veins, as well as in capillaries ( Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al., 2002). Endothelial cells originate from the mesoderm, a germinal layer that forms at gastrulation, an early embryonic development stage ( Bautch and Caron, 2015). These include numerous processes, such as blood vessel formation, coagulation and fibrinolysis, regulation of vascular tone, to a role in inflammation. In medical research, endothelial cells are no longer seen as a passive barrier, but as a tissue that fulfills various functions ( Michiels, 2003). However, they described the width of hepatic artery endothelial cells as 4.9 ± 1.5 μm and 21.9 ± 6.6 μm in length. Garipcan and his team found iliac artery endothelial cells to be 13.2 ± 4.1 μm in width and 25.8 ± 8.5 μm in length ( Garipcan et al., 2010). If you want to describe the size of endothelial cells, you need to specify which type. Endothelial cells from various organs add another dimension of complexity. Particular molecular markers distinguish endothelial cells that are found in lymphatic vessels from those that originate from blood vessels ( Bautch and Caron, 2015). However, different subtypes of endothelial cells exist. Endothelial cells line blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, they are found exclusively in vascularized tissue ( Bautch and Caron, 2015). An impaired function can lead to serious health issues throughout the body. They control the flow of substances and fluid into and out of a tissue. Cell-based Manufacturing Media PlatformĮndothelial cells form the barrier between vessels and tissues ( Aman et al., 2016).
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