Vascular permeability

Template:WikiDoc Cardiology News Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Vascular permeability characterizes the capacity of a blood vessel wall to pass through small molecules (ions, water, nutrients) or even whole cells (lymphocytes on their way to the site of inflammation). Blood vessel walls are lined by a single layer of endothelial cells. The gaps between endothelial cells (cell junctions) are strictly regulated depending on the type and physiological state of the tissue.