This review chapter describes the current knowledge about the nature of pericytes in the gut, their interaction with endothelial cells in blood vessels, and their pathophysiological functions in the setting of chronic liver disease. In particular, it focuses on the role of these vascular cell types and related molecular signaling pathways in pathological angiogenesis associated with liver disease and in the establishment of the gut-vascular barrier and the potential implications in liver disease through the gut-liver axis.
Keywords: Chronic liver disease; Gut-vascular barrier; Intestinal circulation; Mesenteric vascular bed; Pathological angiogenesis; Portosystemic collateral vessels.