Imayama S, Urabe H
Anat Embryol (Berl). 1984;169(3):271-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00315632.
Surface morphology of pericytes of the subepidermal capillary network of rat skin was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Pericytes showed considerable variation in shape, one end of the spectrum representing a fusiform cell body and lateral projections, the other end a club-like, undulated appearance. Most cells of whatever form were disposed parallel to the capillary course and aligned on the dermal side of the vessels. The pericytic processes encompassed up to half of the endothelial circumference, and were not tapered but spatulated at the ends; the cells adhered to the vessel wall only in certain areas. These findings, together with our previous observation that the subepidermal capillaries exhibit fenestrations mainly at the epidermal side of the endothelial lining, suggest a possible functional role of the pericyte in control of material exchange through the vessel wall. The lateral processes of the fusiform pericytes may, by contraction, cause thinning of the capillary endothelium and the formation of fenestrae, while the club-like pericytes may straighten and push the capillary towards the epidermis, if pericytes are indeed contractile cells, as recent studies indicate.
采用扫描电子显微镜研究了大鼠皮肤表皮下毛细血管网周细胞的表面形态。周细胞的形状差异很大，一端是梭形细胞体和侧向突起，另一端是棒状、起伏不平的外观。无论何种形态，大多数细胞都与毛细血管走行平行排列，并排列在血管的真皮侧。周细胞突起包围了多达一半的内皮周长，末端不是逐渐变细而是呈铲状；细胞仅在某些区域附着于血管壁。这些发现，连同我们之前观察到的表皮下毛细血管主要在内皮衬里的表皮侧出现窗孔，提示周细胞在控制物质通过血管壁交换方面可能具有功能作用。如果周细胞确实是收缩性细胞，正如最近的研究所表明的那样，梭形周细胞的侧向突起可能通过收缩导致毛细血管内皮变薄并形成窗孔，而棒状周细胞可能会伸直并将毛细血管推向表皮。
