PMID: 11696683

Issn Print: 0954-6928

Publication Date: 2001/09/01


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The assessment of endothelial function in humans

H.M. Omar Farouque; Ian T. Meredith

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Excerpt

The endothelium had long been thought of as an inert barrier separating the various components of blood and the vessel wall. However, the observation by Furchgott and Zawadzki in 1980 that the endothelium was essential for acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation [1], and the subsequent discovery of endothelium-derived nitric oxide irrevocably changed this view. It is now recognized that the endothelium is of fundamental importance to cardiovascular homeostasis by controlling a variety of critical processes including the regulation of vascular permeability, vascular tone, leucocyte and platelet adhesion, hemostasis and vasculogenesis.
Endothelial dysfunction can be broadly defined as impairment in any of the normal functions of the endothelium caused by an injurious stimulus. This change is widely regarded as an early event in the process of atherogenesis [2], and one that may contribute to ischemic sequelae once atherosclerosis is established [3]. With this in mind, a simple, practical and reliable tool for assessing human endothelial function in vivo would be of great utility by allowing the early identification and subsequent monitoring of endothelial dysfunction. By implication, intervention at such an early stage could conceivably reduce the burden of complications that result from atherosclerosis. In this article, existing methods for assessing human endothelial function in vivo will be examined (Table 1).

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