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Research advances of occludin in vascular endothelial injury

DUAN Yan-Ru¹, DU Yun-Hui², LIU Hui-Rong^1,*

¹College of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China ；²Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China

Abstract

Endothelial tight junctions (TJs) serve as an important barrier in vascular endothelial structure and maintain vascular function homeostasis. Occludin, the most representative tight junction protein, is involved in sealing cell connections and maintaining the integrity and permeability of vascular endothelium. Recent studies have shown that alterations in the expression, distribution, and structure of endothelial TJs may lead to many related vascular diseases and pathologies (such as stroke, atherosclerosis, and pulmonary hypertension etc.). Here, we reviewed the research advances on the relationship between occludin and vascular endothelial injury, including the biological information of occludin, the signal pathways that occludin exerts the protective effect of vascular endothelium, and the relationship between occludin and vascular endothelial injury-related diseases.

Key words: occludin; vascular endothelium; protective effect

Received: 2020-10-30　　Accepted: 2021-03-11

Corresponding author: 刘慧荣　　E-mail: liuhr2000@126.com

Citing This Article：

DUAN Yan-Ru, DU Yun-Hui, LIU Hui-Rong. Research advances of occludin in vascular endothelial injury. Acta Physiol Sin 2021; 73 (6): 931-939 (in Chinese with English abstract).