Biomaterial Database

Endothelial cell function: biologic and physiologic functions in health and disease. 1996

P K Shireman, and W H Pearce

Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

Endothelial cells (EC) form a monolayer with a strategic role in the control of many physiologic and biologic pathways. Although the endothelium initially was thought to be an inert and passive barrier of the vasculature, the diverse functions of EC have been better defined in the past decade. EC play an important role in the control of coagulation, vasomotor tone, growth of vascular smooth muscle cells, white cell trafficking, ischemic and reperfusion injuries, and the development of arteriosclerosis. Owing to their location in the arterial tree, EC also are considered a potential target for gene therapy. The introduction of foreign DNA into EC by in vitro transfection with viral vectors has produced encouraging results when using genes that encode for proteins such as insulin and urokinase. The seeding of EC onto vascular grafts appears to convey the thromboresistant properties of saphenous vein to an artificial surface. This review focuses on the important biologic and physiologic functions of EC in health and disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011225	Pre-Eclampsia	A complication of PREGNANCY, characterized by a complex of symptoms including maternal HYPERTENSION and PROTEINURIA with or without pathological EDEMA. Symptoms may range between mild and severe. Pre-eclampsia usually occurs after the 20th week of gestation, but may develop before this time in the presence of trophoblastic disease.	Toxemias, Pregnancy,EPH Complex,EPH Gestosis,EPH Toxemias,Edema-Proteinuria-Hypertension Gestosis,Gestosis, EPH,Hypertension-Edema-Proteinuria Gestosis,Preeclampsia,Preeclampsia Eclampsia 1,Pregnancy Toxemias,Proteinuria-Edema-Hypertension Gestosis,Toxemia Of Pregnancy,1, Preeclampsia Eclampsia,1s, Preeclampsia Eclampsia,EPH Toxemia,Eclampsia 1, Preeclampsia,Eclampsia 1s, Preeclampsia,Edema Proteinuria Hypertension Gestosis,Gestosis, Edema-Proteinuria-Hypertension,Gestosis, Hypertension-Edema-Proteinuria,Gestosis, Proteinuria-Edema-Hypertension,Hypertension Edema Proteinuria Gestosis,Of Pregnancies, Toxemia,Of Pregnancy, Toxemia,Pre Eclampsia,Preeclampsia Eclampsia 1s,Pregnancies, Toxemia Of,Pregnancy Toxemia,Pregnancy, Toxemia Of,Proteinuria Edema Hypertension Gestosis,Toxemia Of Pregnancies,Toxemia, EPH,Toxemia, Pregnancy,Toxemias, EPH
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D001777	Blood Coagulation	The process of the interaction of BLOOD COAGULATION FACTORS that results in an insoluble FIBRIN clot.	Blood Clotting,Coagulation, Blood,Blood Clottings,Clotting, Blood
D004730	Endothelium, Vascular	Single pavement layer of cells which line the luminal surface of the entire vascular system and regulate the transport of macromolecules and blood components.	Capillary Endothelium,Vascular Endothelium,Capillary Endotheliums,Endothelium, Capillary,Endotheliums, Capillary,Endotheliums, Vascular,Vascular Endotheliums
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001161	Arteriosclerosis	Thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of ARTERIES of all sizes. There are many forms classified by the types of lesions and arteries involved, such as ATHEROSCLEROSIS with fatty lesions in the ARTERIAL INTIMA of medium and large muscular arteries.	Arterioscleroses
D014657	Vasculitis	Inflammation of any one of the blood vessels, including the ARTERIES; VEINS; and rest of the vasculature system in the body.	Angiitis,Angiitides,Vasculitides
D014666	Vasomotor System	The neural systems which act on VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE to control blood vessel diameter. The major neural control is through the sympathetic nervous system.	System, Vasomotor,Systems, Vasomotor,Vasomotor Systems