Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are primary cells isolated from the vein of an umbilical cord, extensively used in cardiovascular studies and medical research. These cells, retaining the characteristics of endothelial cells in vivo, serve as a valuable cellular model system for understanding vascular biology, endothelial dysfunction, pathophysiology of diseases such as atherosclerosis, and responses to different drugs or treatments. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been a cornerstone in revealing the detailed architecture of multiple cellular model systems including HUVECs, allowing researchers to visualize subcellular organelles, membrane structures, and cytoskeletal elements. Among them, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and nucleus can be meticulously examined to recognize alterations indicative of cellular responses to various stimuli. Importantly, Weibel-Palade bodies are characteristic secretory organelles found in HUVECs, which can be easily distinguished in the TEM. These distinctive structures also dynamically react to different factors through regulated exocytosis, resulting in complete or selective release of their contents. This detailed review summarizes the ultrastructural features of HUVECs and highlights the utility of TEM as a pivotal tool for analyzing HUVECs in diverse research frameworks, contributing valuable insights into the comprehension of HUVEC behavior and enriching our knowledge into the complexity of vascular biology.

中文翻译：

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人脐静脉内皮细胞作为多种实验范式中的多功能细胞模型系统：超微结构视角。


人脐静脉内皮细胞 (HUVEC) 是从脐带静脉中分离出来的原代细胞，广泛用于心血管研究和医学研究。这些细胞保留了体内内皮细胞的特征，可作为了解血管生物学、内皮功能障碍、动脉粥样硬化等疾病的病理生理学以及对不同药物或治疗的反应的有价值的细胞模型系统。透射电子显微镜 (TEM) 一直是揭示包括 HUVEC 在内的多种细胞模型系统详细架构的基石，使研究人员能够可视化亚细胞细胞器、膜结构和细胞骨架元素。其中，可以仔细检查内质网、高尔基体、线粒体和细胞核，以识别细胞对各种刺激反应的变化。重要的是，Weibel-Palade 小体是 HUVEC 中发现的特征性分泌细胞器，可以在 TEM 中轻松区分。这些独特的结构还通过调节的胞吐作用对不同的因素做出动态反应，从而导致其内容物完全或选择性释放。这篇详细的综述总结了 HUVEC 的超微结构特征，并强调了 TEM 作为在不同研究框架中分析 HUVEC 的关键工具的实用性，为理解 HUVEC 行为提供了宝贵的见解，并丰富了我们对血管生物学复杂性的了解。