Interstitium

Interstitium
Anatomical terminology
Three-dimensional schematic of the interstitium, a fluid-filled space supported by a network of collagen

The interstitium is a contiguous fluid-filled space existing between a structural barrier, such as a cell membrane or the skin, and internal structures, such as organs, including muscles and the circulatory system.[1][2] The fluid in this space is called interstitial fluid, comprises water and solutes, and drains into the lymph system.[2] The interstitial compartment is composed of connective and supporting tissues within the body – called the extracellular matrix – that are situated outside the blood and lymphatic vessels and the parenchyma of organs.[2][3] The role of the interstitium in solute concentration, protein transport and hydrostatic pressure impacts human pathology and physiological responses such as edema, inflammation and shock.[4]

  1. ^ Bert JL; Pearce RH (1984). The interstitium and microvascular exchange. In: Handbook of Physiology. The Cardiovascular System. Microcirculation (sect. 2; pt. 1; chapt. 12; vol. IV ed.). Bethesda, MD: American Physiological Society. pp. 521–547. ISBN 0-683-07202-1.
  2. ^ a b c Wiig, H; Swartz, M. A (2012). "Interstitial fluid and lymph formation and transport: Physiological regulation and roles in inflammation and cancer". Physiological Reviews. 92 (3): 1005–60. doi:10.1152/physrev.00037.2011. PMID 22811424.
  3. ^ Scallan J; Huxley VH; Korthuis RJ (2010). The Interstitium. In: Capillary Fluid Exchange: Regulation, Functions, and Pathology. San Rafael, CA: Morgan & Claypool Life Sciences. Archived from the original on 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  4. ^ Stewart, Randolph H. (2020-11-05). "A Modern View of the Interstitial Space in Health and Disease". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 7. doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.609583. ISSN 2297-1769. PMC 7674635. PMID 33251275.