Abstract
The modern concept of the development of atherosclerosis implies that the underlying pathogenesis of this disease is vascular remodeling as a response of the vessel wall to hypertension associated with hyperlipidemia and subsequent inflammation. However, even though this disease has been investigated for decades, both from a basic and clinical research aspect, there are still many doubts as to what the initial phase of the disease is. In contemporary literature there are an increasing number of papers that stress the importance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the blood vessels connective tissue, particularly proteoglycans, in the formation of early atherosclerotic lesions of human coronary arteries.
Highlights
Connective tissue is found in all layers of the vascular wall in varying quantities: it is prominent below the basement membrane, forming subendothelial layer
This tissue has the function of wall structural support; it represents the mechanical barrier to infectious agents, performs a defensive role through the activity of immunocompetent cells and macrophages, and it is the center of metabolic activity of the vascular wall (Fawcett, 1986)
Connective tissue consists of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and connective cells
Summary
Connective tissue is found in all layers of the vascular wall in varying quantities: it is prominent below the basement membrane, forming subendothelial layer. A significant accumulation of connective tissue is found in the adventitia (Stevens and Lowe, 1997). This tissue has the function of wall structural support; it represents the mechanical barrier to infectious agents, performs a defensive role through the activity of immunocompetent cells and macrophages, and it is the center of metabolic activity of the vascular wall (Fawcett, 1986). ECM of the vascular wall can be expressed in the form of a flexible, specialized thin layer, which represents the basement membrane and in the form of stromal (interstitial) ECM (Lačković, 1998)
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