This took me two hours and I can’t even comprehend this It’s also on my sub stack :)
Endothelial dysfunction is essentially when this lining stops working correctly. Instead of being flexible and protective, the lining becomes "sticky," stiff, and narrow. The endothelium is a layer of every single tube in the cardiovascular system. It lines the four chambers of your heart ( the endocardium), the arteries ( where it aids in the process of carrying blood away from the heart), the veins, ( where it lines the vessels bringing blood back to the heart), and capillaries. Capillaries are composed solely of a single layer of endothelial cells, which act as a barrier between blood and tissues. Capillaries form networks that connect arteries and veins to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and cells while removing carbon dioxide and waste products. They are vital for tissue health, immune response, regulating blood pressure, etc. The endothelium The endothelium is essentially a space for your blood and tissues to interact, a vital position when it comes to the efficiency of the function of those organs and tissues that are interconnected. The endothelium is considered an endocrine organ, with the shape of the endothelial cells being 10–30 μm wide ( micrometers), 50-70 μm long, and 0.1–10 μm thick. Endothelium cells are considered Eukaryotic cells, which are membrane bound organisms which contain organelles defined by a nucleus that houses DNA. The main difference between them is that endothelial cells are specialized eukaryotic cells that form a continuous, heterogeneous monolayer called the endothelium. The average human or eukaryotic cell has a diameter that equates to 10-30 μm, similar to the shape of an endothelial cell. In general, endothelial cells act as the meeting point between blood and the vessel wall, in order to regulate vascular tone ( the state of contraction between the vascular smooth muscle), immunology and inflammation. Endothelialium cells A healthy cell constantly releases nitric oxide (NO), which touches the muscle cells ( Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells), and when the cells contract, the vessel gets smaller ( Vasoconstriction), and when the cells relax, the vessel gets wider ( Vasodilation.) Nitric oxide triggers a chemical reaction inside the muscle cell after the Endothelial cell uses Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase, which creates NO. Therefore, the Smooth Muscle eukaryotic cell relaxes. Endothelium dysfunction and PCOS In a woman’s body sign PCOS, the eNOS Enzyme produces less nitric oxide, and the environment inside the cell becomes toxic due to Hyperinsulinemia, which activates a pathway called MAPK, allowing the endothelial cells to grow rapidly and produce inflammatory proteins such as VCAM-1 ( Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1), ( ICAM-1), and (E-selectin). These proteins catch passing white blood cells. Proteins such as TNF-alpha, IL-6 (Interleukin-6), MCP-1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1), are signaled when the Endothelium cell can’t produce Nitric oxide. This can occur in a women’s body with PCOS in her heart, kidneys, and limbs, and once the placenta is formed, due to this, the placenta starves, releasing a massive spike of inflammatory proteins, such as sFlt-1. The endothelial cells then collapse, also known as systemic inflammation or a vasospasm, indicating preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder that occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy or postpartum. In a normal or healthy pregnancy, the mothers body produces high levels of Nitric oxide, and a stable blood pressure, while women with Preeclampsia will experience a vascular crash. If a woman isn’t diagnosed with the condition soon enough, the disorder can be lifethreating to her and the fetus, and an emergency ceasern section may be needed. Solutions Low dose Aspirin ( which lowers the production of Thromboxane) Insulin sensitizers Excersise, which produces more NO
