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Vascular Permeability

Meaning

Vascular permeability is a physiological property of the blood vessel wall, primarily regulated by the endothelial cell layer, that determines the ease with which fluid, solutes, and cells can pass between the circulating blood and the surrounding interstitial tissue. Under normal conditions, permeability is tightly controlled to maintain plasma volume and tissue fluid balance. However, in response to inflammatory stimuli, this property increases, allowing immune cells and plasma proteins to exit the bloodstream and reach the site of injury or infection.