01-16-2011, 07:05 PM
01-16-2011, 08:18 PM
I think its just a macrophage in the kidney like a kupffer cell in the liver, right?
01-16-2011, 08:26 PM
Mesangial cells are specialized cells around blood vessels in the kidneys, at the mesangium. They are specialized smooth muscle cells that function to regulate blood flow through the capillaries.
01-16-2011, 08:27 PM
This may help...
Mesangial Cells
Intraglomerular mesangial cells are specialized pericytes located among the glomerular capillaries within a renal corpuscle of a kidney.
There are three primary functions of intraglomerular mesangial cells:
1. filtration,
2. structural support, and
3. phagocytosis.
Filtration and structure
1. Intraglomerular mesangial cells provide structural support for and regulate blood flow of the glomerular capillaries by their contractile activity.
2. The initiation of contraction of mesangial cells is similar to that of smooth muscle.
3. Contraction of mesangial cells is coupled by that of basement membrane of the endothelium of glomerular capillaries, causing decrease in surface area of basement membrane. Thus, decreasing glomerular filtration rate.
4. They are also major contributors to the extracellular matrix which contains fibronectin, type IV collagen, perlecan, and laminin.
Mesangial Cells
Intraglomerular mesangial cells are specialized pericytes located among the glomerular capillaries within a renal corpuscle of a kidney.
There are three primary functions of intraglomerular mesangial cells:
1. filtration,
2. structural support, and
3. phagocytosis.
Filtration and structure
1. Intraglomerular mesangial cells provide structural support for and regulate blood flow of the glomerular capillaries by their contractile activity.
2. The initiation of contraction of mesangial cells is similar to that of smooth muscle.
3. Contraction of mesangial cells is coupled by that of basement membrane of the endothelium of glomerular capillaries, causing decrease in surface area of basement membrane. Thus, decreasing glomerular filtration rate.
4. They are also major contributors to the extracellular matrix which contains fibronectin, type IV collagen, perlecan, and laminin.