Endothelial cell apoptosis and the role of endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles in the progression of atherosclerosis.

Endothelial cell apoptosis and the role of endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles in the progression of atherosclerosis. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2018 Dec 19;: Authors: Paone S, Baxter AA, Hulett MD, Poon IKH Abstract To maintain physiological homeostasis, cell turnover occurs every day in the body via a form of programmed cell death called apoptosis. During apoptosis, cells undergo distinct morphological changes culminating in the disassembly of the dying cell into smaller fragments known as apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs). Dysregulation of apoptosis is associated with diseases including infection, cancer and atherosclerosis. Although the development of atherosclerosis is largely attributed to the accumulation of lipids and inflammatory debris in vessel walls, it is also associated with apoptosis of macrophages, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells. During cellular activation and apoptosis, endothelial cells can release several types of membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes, microvesicles (MVs)/microparticles and ApoBDs. Emerging evidence in the field suggests that these endothelial cell-derived EVs (EndoEVs) can contribute to intercellular communication during the development of atherosclerosis via the transfer of cellular contents such as protein and microRNA, which may prevent or promote disease progression depending on the context. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the known causes ...
Source: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS - Category: Cytology Authors: Tags: Cell Mol Life Sci Source Type: research