EN
Research studies on the development of the cardiovascular system and its formation during embryologic development have been conducted for a long time. However, such studies have only gained a significant interest less than two decades ago. This can be related to the introduction of immunohistochemical methods, in which endothelium cell markers and their precursors as well as smooth muscle cell markers have been applied, lining the interior surface of a blood vessel wall of a larger diameter. In the process of coronary blood vessel formation two main mechanisms are involved: vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. The formation of vessels occurs in several stages. First a monolayer of endothelial cells begins sprouting to form tubes. These are then transformed into capillaries, veins and arteries.