内皮微粒的研究进展及生物学应用

Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are 100-1,000 nm membrane vesicles released by activated or apoptotic endothelial cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that EMPs are biomarkers mirroring the function status of endothelium. Besides, EMPs can also serve as biological effectors in multiple biological processes including inflammation and thrombosis. Plasma EMP levels have emerged as a novel approach for evaluation of endothelial dysfunction. In this paper, recent studies on endothelial microparticles and their biological applications are summarized.