Interactions Between Bovine Adrenal Medulla Endothelial and Chromaffin Cells

Many substances normally present in blood and those released during inflammation or tissue damage can, if they reach threshold concentration, stimulate endothelial cells (ECs) to increase synthesis and secretion of nitric oxide (1) and prostacyclin (2). These products induce smooth muscle cell relaxation and consequently vasodilatation (3). Another EC response evoked by these substances consists on increased transvascular permeability to small solutes and water across intercellular junctions (4, 5).