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Intimal Macrovascular Pericytes: Their Role in Vascular Biology and Atherogenesis
Alexander N Orekhov1, Elena R Andreeva2
1Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya Street, Moscow, 125315, Russia.
Insights
Macrovascular pericytes, crucial arterial wall cells, are key players in atherosclerosis development. Understanding their changing roles in lipid uptake and plaque formation offers new prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a significant global health challenge with complex origins.
- Current therapeutic strategies are limited by incomplete understanding of early disease stages.
- Macrovascular pericytes, residing in arterial walls, share similarities with microvascular pericytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current knowledge on macrovascular pericytes.
- To elucidate the role of macrovascular pericytes in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
- To highlight pericytes as potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on pericytes and atherosclerosis.
- Analysis of pericyte morphology and function in atherosclerotic plaques.
- Investigation of pericyte involvement in lipid metabolism and extracellular matrix synthesis.
Main Results:
- Macrovascular pericytes exhibit unique stellar shapes and contractile functions.
- Pericytes possess immune defense capabilities and lipid uptake potential.
- In atherosclerosis, pericytes adopt phagocytic and synthetic phenotypes, contributing to plaque growth.
Conclusions:
- Macrovascular pericytes are significantly involved in atherosclerotic lesion development.
- Their dynamic functional changes underscore their importance in disease progression.
- Further research into pericyte biology may reveal new avenues for atherosclerosis prevention and treatment.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis remains a major challenge to global healthcare despite decades of research and constant trials of novel therapeutic approaches. One feature that makes atherosclerosis treatment so elusive is an insufficient understanding of its origins and the early stages of the pathological process, which limits our means of effective prevention of the disease. Macrovascular pericytes are cells with distinct shapes that are located in the arterial wall of larger vessels and are in many aspects similar to microvascular pericytes that maintain the functionality of small vessels and capillaries. This cell type combines the residual contractile function of smooth muscle cells with a distinct stellar shape that allows these cells to make numerous contacts between themselves and the adjacent endothelial layer. Moreover, pericytes can take part in the immune defense and are able to take up lipids in the course of atherosclerotic lesion development. In growing atherosclerotic plaques, the morphology and function of pericytes change dramatically due to phagocytic and synthetic phenotypes that are actively involved in lipid accumulation and extracellular matrix synthesis. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of this less-studied cell type and its role in atherosclerosis.
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