Publication: Microvascular pericytes, a review of their morphological and functional characteristics
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Date
1991
Authors
Díaz-Flores, Lucio ; Gutiérrez, Ricardo ; Varela, Hilda ; Rancel, N. ; Valladares, Francisco
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
A hundred years after the first description,
niany aspects of pericytes reniain to be examined.
Mesenchymal in origin, pericytes form an incomplete
envelopment around the endothelial cells and within the
microvascular basement niernhrane of capillaries and
postcapillary venules. Morphologically. they appear as
long, slender, polymorphic cells. showing an elongated
cell body, from which arise longitudinal and
circumferential branches. Cell bodies and cytoplasmic
processes of pericytes. as well as the endothelial cells, are
enveloped by the same basal lamina. except for where
they make direct contacts with each other. The pericytet
endothelial cell contacts are peg and socket. adlicsion
plaques and gap junctions. making up structural
mechanisms for force transmission and a possible
receptor system for cells, in which the pcricyte and
endothelial cells I-espond to secondary signals generated
in the other cells. Electron niicroscopic studies have
revealed an elaborate network of cytoplasmic filaments.
Pericytc intermediate filament proteins show species and
tissue differences. expressing vimentin or vimentin and
desmin. The pericytes also express protein typical of
contractile cells, i.e. smooth muscle-specific isoforms of
actin and myosin, cyclic GMP-protein kinase and
tropomyosin. A gradual transition is observed between
pericytes and smooth muscle cells in both terminal
a-terioles and venules. Several general functions for
the pericytes have been postulated: contractability:
permeability regulator: integrity maintainer; endothelial
cell growth modulator; and cell progenitor with
considerable mesenchymal potential.
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