Review
English
A M. Ibrahim, A M. Elneihoum
Department of Medicine, 7th October Hospital, Benghazi, Libya
JMJ Vol. 2, No. 2 (September 2002): 18-27
Abstract
The Endothelium lies in a strategic anatomical position within the blood vessel wall between the circulating blood and vascular smooth muscle cells. The endothelium as a regulatory organ governs local perfusion the interaction between cellular blood elements and the vessel wall. To fulfil this function, a number of vasoactive substances are formed at the endothelial site, prostacyclin (PGI2), discovered by Moncada and Vane, endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) the nature if which was not certain and now considered to be nitric oxide. Endothelial cells also produce unidentified factor known as endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Furthermore, endothelial cells have been shown to produce potent constrictor factors such as endothelin-1 (ET-1). Cyclooxygenase product such as prostaglandin H2 and thromboxane A2 and possibly also components of rennin-angiotensin system.
Keywords: Endothelium, Vasoactive substances, Prostacyclin (PG12), endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), Endothelin-1 (ET-1)
Link/DOI: http://www.jmj.org.ly/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1231