Pericyte, also known as mural cell or Rouget cell, is one of the main cells that make up the wall of capillaries. Pericytes play important roles not only in the maturation, stability, and function maintenance of blood vessels, but also in the growth and development of tissues and organs, wound repair, and other physiological and pathological processes. Researches on the functions of pericytes are mainly concentrated on their multipotency, adjustment of vascular functions, and process of fibrosis, as well as on renal fibrosis, renal blood flow regulation, and glomerular filtration in urology, but are quite insufficient in andrology. This article reviews the location, origin, distribution, morphology, markers, and functions of pericytes, aiming to induce further studies of pericytes in andrology.
Fibrosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Pericytes ; physiology ; Urogenital System ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution, phenotype and development of pericytes in infantile hemangioma.

METHODSFifty-two infantile hemangioma samples were included in our study. alpha-SMA was used as the marker antigen to observe the distribution of pericytes. Transmission electron microscope and TUNEL method were used to analyze the apoptosis of pericytes.

RESULTSIn the early and middle proliferating stage, there existed many pericytes in hemangioma; Pericytes together with endothelial cells generated vasculogenesis. In the late proliferating stage, many pericytes became apoptotic. In the early involuting stage, there were only a few of pericytes around the microvessels; After that, the microvessels became obstruction progressively and pericytes disappeared finally.

CONCLUSIONSThe pericyte is one of the major constitutive cells of hemangioma. The vasculogenesis, development and disappearance of microvessels undertaken by pericytes and endothelial cells lead to the pathologic evolution of infantile hemangioma.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hemangioma ; pathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Microcirculation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; Pericytes ; pathology

The brain pericyte is a unique and indispensable part of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and contributes to several pathological processes in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pericytes are regulated in the damaged brain are largely unknown. Here, we show that the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induces the appearance of CD11b⁺ pericytes after TBI. These CD11b⁺ pericyte subsets are characterized by increased permeability and pro-inflammatory profiles compared to CD11b^- pericytes. Moreover, histones from NETs by Dectin-1 facilitate CD11b induction in brain pericytes in PKC-c-Jun dependent manner, resulting in neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction after TBI. These data indicate that neutrophil-NET-pericyte and histone-Dectin-1-CD11b are possible mechanisms for the activation and dysfunction of pericytes. Targeting NETs formation and Dectin-1 are promising means of treating TBI.
Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain/pathology* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Histones ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; Pericytes/pathology*

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is closely involved in early retinal pathology of diabetes, including blood-retinal barrier breakdown, pericyte loss, neuro-retinal apoptosis, and cell proliferation. This study examines the involvement of VEGF in cell apoptosis and survival in the retina of animals with type 2 diabetes. We used retinas from 28-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes, and Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats as controls. In parallel with evidence for pericyte loss, we found cell proliferation, apoptosis, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (an indicator of endothelial cell proliferation/survival) and VEGF overexpression in the OLETF-retina, compared to control LETO. Furthermore, apoptotic signals were partly co-localized to only VEGF-positive cells in the OLETF-retina, but no apoptotic signals were found in VEGF- and eNOS-double-positive cells. These results suggest that upregulated VEGF is involved in apoptosis and eNOS-dependent cell survival in the retinas of type 2 diabetic rats.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Blood-Retinal Barrier ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Endothelial Cells ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Pathology ; Pericytes ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF* ; Retina* ; Retinaldehyde ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

In the kidney, pericyte is the major source of myofibroblast (MyoF) in renal interstitium. It is reported that pericyte-myofibroblast transition（PMT）is one of the important pathomechanisms of renal interstitial fibrosis（RIF）. Among them, the main reasons for promoting RIF formation include pericyte recruitment, activation and isolation, as well as the lack of pericyte-derived erythropoietin. During the PMT startup process, pericyte activation and its separation from microvessels are controlled by multiple signal transduction pathways, such as transforming growth factor-β（TGF-β）pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathway and platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) pathway;Blocking of these signaling pathways can not only inhibit PMT, but also suppress renal capillaries reduction and further alleviate RIF. In clinic, many traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions, single traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and their extracts have the clear effects in alleviating RIF, and some of their intervention actions may be related to pericyte and its PMT. Therefore, the studies on PMT and its drug intervention will become the main development direction in the research field of anti-organ fibrosis by CHM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Kidney ; cytology ; drug effects ; pathology ; Myofibroblasts ; cytology ; Pericytes ; cytology ; Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Intracardiac hemangiopericytomas are rare tumors which originates from the pericyte in the external wall of capillaries. 1) The tumors are known to usually develop in the lower extremities, pelvic cavity and retroperitoneum, 2) but are very rare in the heart. 3) The symptoms and signs of a hemagiopericytoma depend on the size and location of the tumor. 2) A hemagiopericytoma has a high potential for local recurrence and metastasis, so regular follow-up is needed following surgical excision. 2) A 36-year-old man presented with shortness of breath and chest discomfort. Before operating, a chest CT scan showed that a compressive collapse of the left lung had developed next to a large mediastinal tumor. Because of impending respiratory failure due to collapse of the left lung, an operation was performed. The operation showed that the mediastinal tumor was a large loculated hemopericardium accompanied by pericardial bleeding. A hematoma evacuation with a pericardiectomy was performed, and the pathology of the thickened pericardial wall revealed a malignant hemangiopericytoma. The patient has followed up for 6 months without symptoms or sign of tumor recurrence following the radiation therapy.
Adult ; Capillaries ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Hemangiopericytoma ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pathology ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericytes ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed