title: [Changes of the endothelium in cardiovascular pathology in the elderly. Part I. Signal molecules and endothelial functions].
abstract: The review discusses the issue of the interaction between the endothelium and numerous biologically active substances, secreted by endotheliocytes and their environment--the so called signal molecules - in the most prevalent pathology in the elderly. In the elderly, signal molecules are synthesized by endothelial cells less intensively by comparison to young and middle-age people because a range of morphological features of endotheliocytes at elderly age: a hyperchromic nucleus; a smaller number of ribosomes, which leads to the inhibition of protein synthesis; a bigger number of lysosomes; structural changes in myofibrils; alterations in the mitochondrial structure such as crista death as well as the swelling and destruction of some organellas, which disturb the process of energosynthesis. At the same time, the main regulatory functions of the endothelium--vasomotor, antithrombocyte, anticoagulatory, thrombolytic, antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and antiproliferative ones--are the same in the healthy elderly and at earlier stages of ontogenesis. Disturbances in one or another endothelial function, especially at elderly age when the peculiarities of endothelial functioning under normal conditions are formed together with age-related morphological changes, result in fast development and progress of cardiovascular diseases.
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Proshchaev
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Il'nitskiĭ
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kvetnoĭ
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Kniaz'kin
authors.forename: P Ia
authors.initials: PIa
authors.lastname: Zeziulin
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Konovalov
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Filippov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*