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Thromb Haemost 2006; 95(01): 36-42
DOI: 10.1160/TH05-07-0488
Theme Issue Article
Schattauer GmbH

Endothelial tight junctions: permeable barriers of the vessel wall

Gianfranco Bazzoni
1   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy
› Author AffiliationsGrant support: The generous support by AICR (Association International for Cancer Research, St. Andrews, United Kingdom; Grant 04-095) and MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research, Rome, Italy; Grants RBNE01T8C8_004 and RBAU01E5F5) is gratefully ac-knowledged.
Further Information

Publication History

Received 11 July 2005

Accepted after revision 18 November 2005

Publication Date:
28 November 2017 (online)

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Summary

The endothelial lining of the vessel wall is a permeable barrier, which is located at the interface between the vascular and the perivascular compartments. Although the endothelium acts as an efficient barrier that strictly separates the two compartments,it may also act as a permeable filter which allows selective exchange of solutes and water between the luminal and abluminal sides of the barrier. Similarly to epithelia, also in the endothelium permeability follows two distinct routes, which have been termed transcellular pathway (across the apical and basolateral membranes of individual cells) and paracellular pathway (through the intercellular junctions and the lateral spaces between contacting cells). After an initial description of the two pathways, the review focuses on the cellular and molecular basis of the paracellular pathway, with emphasis on the role of intercellular tight junctions and tight junction-associated claudins. Finally, the signaling events that regulate paracellular permeability are discussed.

Keywords

Endothelial cells - permeability - tight junctions - ion channels
 

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