Aydin F, Rosenblum W I, Povlishock J T
Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond.
Stroke. 1991 Dec;22(12):1592-7. doi: 10.1161/01.str.22.12.1592.
The purpose of this work was to determine whether myoendothelial junctions were present in human brains.
We examined vessels of approximately 30-70 microns i.d. from the brains of five autopsied adult patients. Myoendothelial junctions were found in vessels throughout this range, in both surface arterioles and penetrating arterioles, and were classified into three types. The number of myoendothelial junctions, expressed per unit length of vessels, was five times greater in the smallest than in the largest vessels. Thus, we found 1.62 junctions per millimeter length in arterioles less than 60 microns diameter and 0.31 junctions per millimeter length in arterioles greater than 220 microns diameter.
These findings provide an anatomic basis for communication between endothelial cells and smooth muscle of brain microvessels in humans. The function of this intercellular communication is not yet known; however, findings in animals suggest that endothelium may be required for propagated constriction in brain vessels. The existence of myoendothelial junctions in human brain provides a basis for the hypothesis that propagated constriction depends on transmission of some message or messenger between endothelial cells and muscle.
本研究旨在确定人脑内是否存在肌内皮连接。
我们检查了5例成年尸检患者脑内直径约30 - 70微米的血管。在此范围内的血管中均发现了肌内皮连接，包括表面小动脉和穿通小动脉，并将其分为三种类型。以每单位血管长度表示的肌内皮连接数量，最小的血管比最大的血管多5倍。因此，我们在直径小于60微米的小动脉中发现每毫米长度有1.62个连接，在直径大于220微米的小动脉中每毫米长度有0.31个连接。
这些发现为人类脑微血管内皮细胞与平滑肌之间的通讯提供了解剖学基础。这种细胞间通讯的功能尚不清楚；然而，动物实验结果表明，脑内血管的传播性收缩可能需要内皮细胞参与。人脑内肌内皮连接的存在为传播性收缩依赖于内皮细胞与肌肉之间某种信息或信使传递这一假说提供了依据。
