Functional heterogeneity of the cerebrovascular endothelium.

We have investigated the heterogeneity of endothelial cells from especially two aspects. One is the biochemical and functional differences in their cerebral and peripheral vascular beds, focusing on the capillaries, in regard to the blood-brain barrier properties of the endothelium in the brain. The other aspect concerns the various functional roles that the endothelial cells may play in the regulation of cerebral blood flow by vasoactive neurotransmitters, in terms of the enzymatic and morphological blood-brain barriers, the contractile properties of the capillary endothelium and the endothelium-mediated vasodilatation in the brain.