endothelial inflammation model
The vascular endothelium maintains the vascular tone, regulates the blood flow and attenuates vascular inflammation. The control of these functions is achieved by the production/release of various compounds (relaxant nitric oxide, vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 and adhesion molecules) from the endothelium. The endothelial dysfunction is characterised by an imbalance in the production of these endothelium-derived mediators which leads to inflammatory diseases. The vascular endothelium is the primary site of dysfunction in various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.