Vascular Size Tunica Tunica Media Tunica Function Clinical Issue

Structure Adventitia Intima

Heart Big Epicardium – simple Myocardium - Endocardium – Life Eipcardial cells give rise to
squamous – myocytes, simple squamous Love? “cardiac” fibroblasts and
impregnated with fat fibroblasts, CT Subendocardium coronary Aa
in adults Attach to CT contains conduction
skeleton system
Large (Elastic) Aa External elastic -Many circular layers -Tight junctions Maintain BP during Aneurysms – outpocketings of
membrane of SMCs -Pinocytotic vesicles diastole d/t elastic t. media
-40-70 layers elastin -Endothelial cells recoil
lamellae secrete Factor VII
Large Vv Thin wall Thickest tunic
Medium (Muscular) Aa Prominent external Prominent layers of Prominent internal Maintain BP via Strokes and/or MI
elastic lamina ~40 SMCs elastic lamina SMC Cx in t. media Atherosclerotic plaques –
foam cells
- Macrophages – ingest lipid
on endothelium wall
- SMCs – migrate to t. intima
& take up LDL
Plaque calcify→platelets
attach→thrombus→infarct
Medium Vv Much thinner than aa Few layers SMC Valves – folds
project into lumen
Small Aa/ < 50 µm 8 Layers SMC SMCs regulate Hypertension – pathological
Arterioles 2 Layers SMC blood flow to narrowing of lumens d/t lipid
capillary bed uptake by SMCs
Venules ~ 50 µm Leukocytes enter
tissue via diapedesis
Capillaries ~10 µm None None Single layer Exchange Tissue specific VEGFR
endothelial cells –
simple squamous
with basal lamina

Note: 1 RBC = 7.5 µm

 Capillary Type Tissue Wall Transport Function
Type I – Continuous CNS (Brain), Heart, Continuous – Cell jxn Oxygen Basis of BBB
Skeletal muscle, Lung unites parts of same cell Tight jxns - <10 kDa
– tight junctions – Pinocyt. Ves. - >10 kDa
pinocytotic vesicles
Type II – Fenestrated Endocrine glands, GI 100 nm “windows” – Molecules >10 kDa
Tract, Kidneys permanent pinocytotic Hormones, Nutrients,
vesicles? Ions
Type III - Sinusoidal Bone marrow, Liver, Physically discontinuous Whole RBCs Larger than Type I or II
Spleen, Lymph nodes (~3.0 µm openings) Exchange

Endothelial Cells Function

1. Exchange
a. Gases – directly through membrane
b. Nutrients – through pinocytotic vesicles, fenestrations, discontinuities
2. Secrete Regulatory Molecules
a. Vasoactive Factors
i. Endothelin – vasoconstrictor
ii. NO – Vasodilator
b. Growth Factors
i. VEGF, FGF

Angiogenesis
1. Activation of endothelial cell receptors – VEGFR, FGFR, Tie-2 R
7. Inhibition of angiogenic growth via EC Matrix/ECF factors
a. Angiostatin from plasminogen
b. Endostatin – from collagen XVIII isoform