Cytoskeleton, cytoskeletal interactions, and vascular endothelial function

oskeleton, cytoskeletal interactions, and vascular endothelial function Review (938) Total Article Views Authors: Wang J, Widlansky ME Published Date December 2012 Volume 2012:4 Pages 119 - 127 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CHC.S21823 Received: 23 February 2012 Accepted: 12 September 2012 Published: 06 December 2012 Jingli Wang,1 Michael E Widlansky1,2 1Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division, 2Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Abstract: Far from being inert, the vascular endothelium is a critical regulator of vascular function. While the endothelium participates in autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine signaling, it also transduces mechanical signals from the cell surface involving key cell structural elements. In this review, we discuss the structure of the vascular endothelium and its relationship to traditional cardiovascular risk factors and clinical cardiovascular events. Further, we review the emerging evidence that cell structural elements, including the glycocalyx, intercellular junctions, and cytoskeleton elements, help the endothelium to communicate with its environment to regulate vascular function, including vessel permeability and signal transduction via nitric oxide bioavailability. Further work is necessary to better delineate the regulatory relationships between known key regulators of vascular function and endothelial cell structural elements.