pathway
Vascular Biology & Endothelial Health
Endothelium, glycocalyx, nitric oxide, leukocyte adhesion, permeability, coagulation, and immune-vascular signaling.
Review layer
Last reviewed 2026-05-17
Systems teaching draft. Content is structured for education and graph expansion, with formal source tagging ready for the next review pass.
core
Systems Frame
This module treats the vascular system as an active signaling organ. Cytokines, oxidative stress, ApoB retention, endothelial activation, and thromboinflammatory cues shift vascular behavior over time.
Core Concepts
Key Interactions
TNF-alpha and IL-1beta increase endothelial adhesion and permeability.
Oxidative stress impairs nitric oxide signaling and raises vascular tone.
ApoB retention and oxidized LDL recruit macrophages into plaque-like immune niches.
Coagulation and inflammation amplify each other during endothelial injury.
Scenario Examples
metabolic inflammation -> endothelial dysfunction
IL-1beta -> vascular activation
oxidized LDL -> foam cell biology