BACKGROUND: The purpose of this work was to determine whether myoendothelial junctions were present in human brains. SUMMARY OF REPORT: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this work was to determine whether myoendothelial junctions were present in human brains. SUMMARY OF REPORT: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.
Authors: Yi He; Maosen Wang; Xuming Chen; Rolf Pohmann; Jonathan R Polimeni; Klaus Scheffler; Bruce R Rosen; David Kleinfeld; Xin Yu Journal: Neuron Date: 2018-02-21 Impact factor: 17.173
Authors: Thomas A Longden; Fabrice Dabertrand; Masayo Koide; Albert L Gonzales; Nathan R Tykocki; Joseph E Brayden; David Hill-Eubanks; Mark T Nelson Journal: Nat Neurosci Date: 2017-03-20 Impact factor: 24.884
Authors: Zhengchen Su; Qing Chang; Aleksandra Drelich; Thomas Shelite; Barbara Judy; Yakun Liu; Jie Xiao; Changchen Zhou; Xi He; Yang Jin; Tais Saito; Shaojun Tang; Lynn Soong; Maki Wakamiya; Xiang Fang; Alexander Bukreyev; Thomas Ksiazek; William K Russell; Bin Gong Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2020-07-20
Authors: Brett S Kirby; Allison Bruhl; Michelle N Sullivan; Michael Francis; Frank A Dinenno; Scott Earley Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-01-24 Impact factor: 3.240