Endothelial dysfunction

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Endothelial dysfunction is a dysfunction in the endothelium, which is a thin layer that covers the inner surface of all blood vessels.[1] The endothelium separates the circulating blood from the tissues, and vascular endothelium has a key role in maintaining vascular homeostasis by releasing vasodilators and vasoconstrictors which either tighten or relax muscles in order to increase or reduce the size of blood vessels.[1][2][3]

Sympathetic nervous system[edit | edit source]

Endothelial function is linked to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), since the SNS provides the nerves for the blood vessels.[4]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]

Endothelial dysfunction has only very recently been recognized within ME/CFS patients.

ME/CFS neurological symptoms hypothesis[edit | edit source]

In 2021 a group of EUROMENE researchers investigating ME/CFS published a hypothesis stating that endothelial dysfunction may be the cause of the neurological symptoms found in ME/CFS, although they hypothesized that other factors that described accounted for the other symptoms of ME/CFS.[5]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

  • 2022, Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients[6] - (Abstract)
  • 2021, An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[5] - (Full text)
  • 2021, Reduced Endothelial Function in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome–Results From Open-Label Cyclophosphamide Intervention Study[7] - (Full text)
  • 2021, Pathophysiology of skeletal muscle disturbances in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)[8] - (Full text)
  • 2021, Persistent endotheliopathy in the pathogenesis of long COVID syndrome[9] - (Full text)
  • 2020, Endothelial Dysfunction Driven by Hypoxia—The Influence of Oxygen Deficiency on NO Bioavailability[10] - (Full text)
  • 2020, Endothelial senescence and chronic fatigue syndrome, a COVID-19 based hypothesis[11] - (Full text)
  • 2020, Peripheral endothelial dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome[12] - (Full text)
  • 2017, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways[13] - (Abstract)

Possible causes[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Esper, Ricardo J.; Nordaby, Roberto A.; Vilariño, Jorge O.; Paragano, Antonio; Cacharrón, José L.; Machado, Rogelio A. (February 23, 2006). "Endothelial dysfunction: a comprehensive appraisal". Cardiovascular Diabetology. 5 (1): 4. doi:10.1186/1475-2840-5-4. ISSN 1475-2840. PMC 1434727. PMID 16504104.
  2. Kwaifa, Ibrahim Kalle; Bahari, Hasnah; Yong, Yoke Keong; Noor, Sabariah Md (February 2020). "Endothelial Dysfunction in Obesity-Induced Inflammation: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications". Biomolecules. 10 (2): 291. doi:10.3390/biom10020291.
  3. "Vasoconstriction: What Is It, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  4. Tucker, William D.; Arora, Yingyot; Mahajan, Kunal (2022). Anatomy, Blood Vessels. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 29262226.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Wirth, Klaus J.; Scheibenbogen, Carmen; Paul, Friedemann (November 22, 2021). "An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". Journal of Translational Medicine. 19 (1): 471. doi:10.1186/s12967-021-03143-3. ISSN 1479-5876. PMC 8607226. PMID 34809664.
  6. Bertinat, Romina; Villalobos-Labra, Roberto; Hofmann, Lidija; Blauensteiner, Jennifer; Sepúlveda, Nuno; Westermeier, Francisco (April 1, 2022). "Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients". Vascular Pharmacology. 143: 106953. doi:10.1016/j.vph.2022.106953. ISSN 1537-1891.
  7. Sørland, Kari; Sandvik, Miriam Kristine; Rekeland, Ingrid Gurvin; Ribu, Lis; Småstuen, Milada Cvancarova; Mella, Olav; Fluge, Øystein (2021). "Reduced Endothelial Function in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome–Results From Open-Label Cyclophosphamide Intervention Study". Frontiers in Medicine. 8: 294. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.642710. ISSN 2296-858X. PMC 8019750. PMID 33829023.
  8. Wirth, Klaus J.; Scheibenbogen, Carmen (April 21, 2021). "Pathophysiology of skeletal muscle disturbances in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)". Journal of Translational Medicine. 19 (1): 162. doi:10.1186/s12967-021-02833-2. ISSN 1479-5876. PMC 8058748. PMID 33882940.
  9. Fogarty, Helen; Townsend, Liam; Morrin, Hannah; Ahmad, Azaz; Comerford, Claire; Karampini, Ellie; Englert, Hanna; Byrne, Mary; Bergin, Colm; O'Sullivan, Jamie M.; Martin‐Loeches, Ignacio (October 2021). "Persistent endotheliopathy in the pathogenesis of long COVID syndrome". Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 19 (10): 2546–2553. doi:10.1111/jth.15490. ISSN 1538-7933. PMC 8420256. PMID 34375505.
  10. Janaszak-Jasiecka, Anna; Siekierzycka, Anna; Płoska, Agata; Dobrucki, Iwona T.; Kalinowski, Leszek (July 2021). "Endothelial Dysfunction Driven by Hypoxia—The Influence of Oxygen Deficiency on NO Bioavailability". Biomolecules. 11 (7): 982. doi:10.3390/biom11070982.
  11. Sfera, Adonis; Osorio, Carolina; Zapata Martín del Campo, Carlos M.; Pereida, Shaniah; Maurer, Steve; Maldonado, Jose Campo; Kozlakidis, Zisis (June 25, 2021). "Endothelial Senescence and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a COVID-19 Based Hypothesis". Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 15: 673217. doi:10.3389/fncel.2021.673217. ISSN 1662-5102. PMC 8267916. PMID 34248502.
  12. Scherbakov, Nadja; Szklarski, Marvin; Hartwig, Jelka; Sotzny, Franziska; Lorenz, Sebastian; Meyer, Antje; Grabowski, Patricia; Doehner, Wolfram; Scheibenbogen, Carmen (2020). "Peripheral endothelial dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome". ESC Heart Failure. 7 (3): 1064–1071. doi:10.1002/ehf2.12633. ISSN 2055-5822. PMC 7261521. PMID 32154656.
  13. Morris, Gerwyn; Anderson, George; Maes, Michael (November 2017). "Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways". Molecular Neurobiology. 54 (9): 6806–6819. doi:10.1007/s12035-016-0170-2. ISSN 1559-1182. PMID 27766535.

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