Vascular Development of the Heart

Myocardial vascularization during development is initiated through vasculogenesis, i.e., vascular tubes form from precursor cells (angioblasts). This phenomenon begins during the fourth week in humans, as the compact regions of the ventricular walls thicken and the diffusion distance for oxygen from the ventricular lumen lengthens. Subsequently, the tubes coalesce and continue to grow by sprouting (angiogenesis). Thus, a microvascular network, consisting of endothelial tubes, is formed. This network fuses at the sinus venosus to form veins. Subsequently a capillary plexus coalesces and penetrates the aorta and forms two major coronary arteries, which incorporate smooth muscle cells. From this point on, the coronary arteries expand and remodel, a process that continues into postnatal life.KeywordsVascular Endothelial Growth FactorTube FormationSerum Response FactorSinus VenosusCapillary PlexusThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.