A team of researchers is reporting that they have identified the location of an elusive ‘permeability barrier’ within the wall of the artery and note that this barrier that plays a key role in normal and disease processes. This barrier provides a seal against water movement across the arterial wall even at high pressures. This seal permits the high-pressure artery to deliver blood throughout the body without leaks. Defective arterial wall permeability to water is altered in many diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure. Using high tech imaging tools, the researchers directly mapped the water permeability to a specific membrane of the arterial wall. A better understanding of this barrier could lead to improved understanding and treatment of disease as well as new potential genetic markers of vascular disease vulnerability, the researchers say. The study, which appeared online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (link is external), is funded by NHLBI.
PNAS Editorial: Crossing the arterial wall with CARS