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endothelium

endothelium

1 9.0
A thin layer of flat cells that lines the inside of blood and lymph vessels and some body cavities
  • noun
  • /ˌɛn.dəˈθi.li.əm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : endotelio
  • Endothelium-dependent vasodilation in response to acetylcholine is impaired in the coronary microvasculature of hypercholesterolaemic subjects.
  • endothelium-dependent
  • vascular endothelium
  • endothelium-dependent relaxation

And So what is true is that small oxidized LDL can more easily penetrate the endothelium, but it deposits less total cholesterol.

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Examples

  • Emerging evidence suggests a crucial role of the endothelium in the retrograde propagation of activity-induced neurovascular signals.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Photomicrograph shows a circumscribed cavernous hemangioma with large, irregular, collapsed spaces lined by a single layer of endothelium (H&E; original magnification x10).

    Academic text (2008)
  • The blood vessel is surrounded by an endothelium that's layer one.

  • The recruitment of circulating inflammatory cells to the endothelium and subendothelial space is an early step in the inflammatory response.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Acute administration of LMWH to pregnant women at high risk of preeclampsia improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation 16.

    Academic text (2018)
  • An overgrowth of the endothelium that forms capillaries and lines blood vessel interiors contributes to atherosclerosis.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Immunological damage to the endothelium is thought to be important in initiating accelerated CAD after cardiac transplantation.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Application of a special dye to differentiate between abnormal and intact endothelium (n17) during percutaneous coronary angioscopy may be useful.

    Academic text (1994)
  • High ADMA concentrations block nitric oxide synthase activity in vitro and inhibit endothelium-dependent vasodilation in animals and in human beings.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The endothelium serves as a barrier between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues.

Synonyms

epithelium
vsendothelium
  • Specialized
2 9.1

A thin layer of cells that covers body surfaces and lines organs

lines only inner surfaces of vessels and some body cavities
epithelial tissue
vsendothelium
  • Specialized
4.3

A thin layer of cells that covers body surfaces and lines internal organs and cavities

is limited to the inner layer of certain vessels rather than general lining

Surface Forms

endothelium singular
endothelia plural

Morphology

endothelium = endo + thelium

The prefix 'endo-' (inner) is transparent, but '-thelium' is a technical combining form (not a standalone English word), so the full medical sense is only partly guessable without domain knowledge.

Etymology

The word endothelium comes from Greek parts endo- 'inside' and -thelium 'layer', and you can see -thelium in the word epithelium. So, endothelium is the thin inner 'layer' of cells that lines blood and lymph vessels.