Cytoskeletal mechanisms regulating vascular endothelial barrier function in response to acute lung injury.
Tissue Barriers 2015;
3:e974448. [PMID:
25838980 DOI:
10.4161/21688370.2014.974448]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cells (EC) form a semi-permeable barrier between the interior space of blood vessels and the underlying tissues. In acute lung injury (ALI) the EC barrier is weakened leading to increased vascular permeability. It is widely accepted that EC barrier integrity is critically dependent upon intact cytoskeletal structure and cell junctions. Edemagenic agonists, like thrombin or endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induced cytoskeletal rearrangement, and EC contractile responses leading to disruption of intercellular contacts and EC permeability increase. The highly clinically-relevant cytoskeletal mechanisms of EC barrier dysfunction are currently under intense investigation and will be described and discussed in the current review.
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