Inflammation and the Microcirculation

Inflammation and the Microcirculation
Author: D. Neil Granger
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Total Pages: 99
Release: 2010
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1615041656

The microcirculation is highly responsive to, and a vital participant in, the inflammatory response. All segments of the microvasculature (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) exhibit characteristic phenotypic changes during inflammation that appear to be directed toward enhancing the delivery of inflammatory cells to the injured/infected tissue, isolating the region from healthy tissue and the systemic circulation, and setting the stage for tissue repair and regeneration. The best characterized responses of the microcirculation to inflammation include impaired vasomotor function, reduced capillary perfusion, adhesion of leukocytes and platelets, activation of the coagulation cascade, and enhanced thrombosis, increased vascular permeability, and an increase in the rate of proliferation of blood and lymphatic vessels. A variety of cells that normally circulate in blood (leukocytes, platelets) or reside within the vessel wall (endothelial cells, pericytes) or in the perivascular space (mast cells, macrophages) are activated in response to inflammation. The activation products and chemical mediators released from these cells act through different well-characterized signaling pathways to induce the phenotypic changes in microvessel function that accompany inflammation. Drugs that target a specific microvascular response to inflammation, such as leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion or angiogenesis, have shown promise in both the preclinical and clinical studies of inflammatory disease. Future research efforts in this area will likely identify new avenues for therapeutic intervention in inflammation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Historical Perspectives / Anatomical Considerations / Impaired Vasomotor Responses / Capillary Perfusion / Angiogenesis / Leukocyte-Endothelial Cell Adhesion / Platelet-Vessel Wall Interactions / Coagulation and Thrombosis / Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction / Epilogue / References

Structure, Function, and Regulation of Molecules Involved in Leukocyte Adhesion

Structure, Function, and Regulation of Molecules Involved in Leukocyte Adhesion
Author: Peter E. Lipsky
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1461392667

Leukocyte adhesion molecules have been the subject of intense basic and preclinical research. Results from clinical trials obtained sofar with antibodies directed towards these surface proteins offer promise for the prevention of graft rejection and effective treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory disease. This volume presents a comprehensive review of contemporary research on the structure, function and regulation of leukocyte adhesion molecules and their ligands, from the molecular to the clinical level. The blend of basic science and clinical applications presented in Structure, Function and Regulation of Molecules Involved in Leukocyte Adhesion provides clear evidence of the biological importance of cell-cell interactions and the many potential clinical dividends afforded by understanding the molecular basis of cell adhesion. It will appeal to a broad range of readers in immunology and cell biology.

The Endothelium

The Endothelium
Author: Michel Félétou
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2011
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1615041230

The endothelium, a monolayer of endothelial cells, constitutes the inner cellular lining of the blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and the lymphatic system, and therefore is in direct contact with the blood/lymph and the circulating cells. The endothelium is a major player in the control of blood fluidity, platelet aggregation and vascular tone, a major actor in the regulation of immunology, inflammation and angiogenesis, and an important metabolizing and an endocrine organ. Endothelial cells controls vascular tone, and thereby blood flow, by synthesizing and releasing relaxing and contracting factors such as nitric oxide, metabolites of arachidonic acid via the cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases and cytochrome P450 pathways, various peptides (endothelin, urotensin, CNP, adrenomedullin, etc.), adenosine, purines, reactive oxygen species and so on. Additionally, endothelial ectoenzymes are required steps in the generation of vasoactive hormones such as angiotensin II. An endothelial dysfunction linked to an imbalance in the synthesis and/or the release of these various endothelial factors may explain the initiation of cardiovascular pathologies (from hypertension to atherosclerosis) or their development and perpetuation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Multiple Functions of the Endothelial Cells / Calcium Signaling in Vascular Cells and Cell-to-Cell Communications / Endothelium-Dependent Regulation of Vascular Tone / Conclusion / References

Adhesion Molecules: Function and Inhibition

Adhesion Molecules: Function and Inhibition
Author: Klaus Ley
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2007-10-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3764379758

This volume gives a comprehensive overview on the most relevant leukocyte and endothelial adhesion molecules. The chapters are written by leaders in the field and focus on the biology, structure, function, and regulation of adhesion molecules. Currently approved adhesion molecule-based therapies are reviewed and an outlook for future approaches is also provided. The book is of interest to clinicians and scientists from immunology, physiology, cancer research, rheumatology, allergology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, pulmonology and cardiology.

Leukocyte Adhesion Molecules

Leukocyte Adhesion Molecules
Author: Timothy A. Springer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461232341

Leukocyte adhesion molecules promise to be highly effective as antigens in the antibody-directed leucocyte elimination treatment prior to grafting or in cases of acute and chronic inflammatory disease. This comprehensive review of contemporary research provides thorough discussions of the structure of these molecules, their in vitro function, and the role that they play in vivo as evidenced by results shown in inflammatory models where antibodies against these molecules are given to inhibit their function. The blend of basic science and clinical applications provides clear evidence of the biological relevance of cell-cell interactions and the many potential clinical dividends afforded by understanding the molecular basis of cell adhesion.

The Adhesion Molecule FactsBook

The Adhesion Molecule FactsBook
Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2000-08-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0080525970

This updated and expanded Second Edition of The Adhesion Molecule FactsBook has nearly double the number of entries of the First Edition, and provides a compendium of the major cell surface adhesion molecules. The introductory chapters detail the organization of the data in the entries section, provide a background to the main adhesion molecule families, and inform the reader how to access information on adhesion molecules on the Internet. The entries have been designed to allow the reader to quickly establish the main structure and functional features of each molecule and where to find information. - Alternative nomenclature - Tissue distribution and regulation of expression - Ligands - Gene organization and chromosomal location - Protein structure and molecular weights - Amino acid sequence of the most commonly studied organisms - PIR, SWISSPROT, and EMBL/GenBank accession numbers - Biological function - Key references

Physiology and Pathophysiology of Leukocyte Adhesion

Physiology and Pathophysiology of Leukocyte Adhesion
Author: D. Neil Granger
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 532
Release: 1995
Genre: Cell adhesion
ISBN: 9780195081022

Leukocytes play an integral role in the pathogenesis of different inflammatory disorders. Recent results indicate that leukocytes are also involved in conditions that had not formerly been associated with a cytotoxic effect by leukocytes. In 27 chapters by leading investigators, this book reviews recent research on leukocyte adhesion and microvascular kinetics. Detailed descriptions of adhesive glycoproteins expressed on the surface of leukocytes and endothelial cells are given together with summaries of the current state of leukocyte rheology, kinetics and entrapment in microvessels. Since leukocytes reach all organs, the mechanisms described in this volume may apply to a wide range of cardiovascular disorders. A variety of important inflammatory and circulatory disorders are discussed including cerebral and coronary ischemia, shock, atherogenesis, chronic venous insufficiency, gastric ulcer and diabetic retinopathy. New concepts about the etiology of cardiovascular complications are presented, with emphasis on molecular, cellular, and microvascular mechanisms. The current state of endogenous anti-adhesive and pro-adhesive mediators is summarized, including interventions against leukocyte activation and adhesion.

Cell Adhesion

Cell Adhesion
Author: D.R. Colman
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 249
Release: 1997-02-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0080876994

One prerequisite for the evolution of multicellular organisms was the invention of mechanisms by which cells could adhere to one another. At some point in our history, dividing cells no longer went their separate protozoic ways in the primordial oceans, but instead found that by maintaining an association, by sticking together but not fusing, numerous evolutionary advantages became possible. The subsequent development of specialized tissues and organs depended on the elaboration of incredibly sophisticated, regulatable cell-to-cell adhesion mechanisms which are known to operate in biological processes as diverse as the growth of the embryo, the immune response, the establishment of connections between nerve cells, and arteriosclerosis, to name just a few. Although we can only guess at the ancestral mechanisms that fostered the first primitive intercellular unions, some one billion years ago, we now recognize contemporary molecular "themes" with presumably ancient origins that mediate cell-cell interactions. The chapters in this book serve as useful, thought-provoking, but not exhaustive, commentaries on contemporary topics within the broad field of cell adhesion. If the reader detects a slight tilt toward those adhesion molecules that function in the nervous system, this is merely a reflection of this editor's interests, biases, and of course, limitations.