Abstract
Vascular endothelial cells (VECs) build a barrier separating the blood from the vascular wall. The vascular endothelium is the largest endocrine organ, and is well-known for its crucial role in the regulation of vascular function. The initial response to endothelial cell injury can lead to the activation of VECs. However, excessive activation leads to metabolic pathway disruption, VEC dysfunction, and angiogenesis. The pathways related to VEC metabolic reprogramming recently have been considered as key modulators of VEC function in processes such as angiogenesis, inflammation, and barrier maintenance. In this review, we focus on the changes of VEC metabolism under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Ding Ai, Tianjin Medical University, China Hou-Zao Chen, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical
In this review, we briefly summarize the current understanding of the metabolic changes in dysfunctional Vascular endothelial cells (VECs), provide a detailed overview of the metabolic pathways activated under normal and pathological conditions, in order to identify potential therapeutic targets on the VEC metabolic reprogramming
When the rate of glycolysis decreases, the energy provided by the oxidative metabolism of glucose, fatty acids (FAs), and amino acids might alternatively increase for supporting the VEC activity (Krutzfeldt et al, 1990)
Summary
Since VECs are exposed to oxygen from the bloodstream, they are expected to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for energy-yielding. VEC aerobic glycolysis has the following advantages over other processes: (1) a reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by OXPHOS; (2) the ability to maximize oxygen transfer to cells surrounding the blood vessel; (3) the ability to adapt to hypoxic environments, and (4) the production of lactate, which can promote angiogenesis (Eelen et al, 2015). Another advantage of glycolysis is the possible shunt of glucose to side branches, including the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and polyol pathway (PP) for biomacromolecule synthesis. When the rate of glycolysis decreases, the energy provided by the oxidative metabolism of glucose, FAs, and amino acids might alternatively increase for supporting the VEC activity (Krutzfeldt et al, 1990)
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