Does the local coronary endothelial dysfunction exist? Potential implications for cardiac cellular therapy

Abstract

Endothelium is a cellular layer lining blood vessels in either a human organ or tissue. For decades, protective and barrier functions were considered to be the main property of vascular endothelium. Over last 20 years, however, endothelium is also considered an active endocrine organ which, due to secretion of multiple enzymes, metabolic and growth factors, may exert suffi cient regulatory eff ects upon heart and blood vessels, thus playing an important role in pathogenesis of certain cardiovascular disorders. Accumulating data on changing interactions between heart vascular endothelium and myocardium allow us to suggest an additional local function for coronary endothelium, i.e., a proposed production of biologically active substances by endothelial cells, and their eff ects upon metabolism, functioning, survival and regeneration of cardiomyocytes. Th e discussion article presents analysis of distinct studies concerning cellular therapy in human heart diseases. Th ese data are favoring a hypothesis about additional role of endothelium in cardiac function, and off er a potential ability to correct endothelial dysfunction by means of cellular therapy.