Structure and function of mesothelial cells

Abstract

Mesothelial cells are specialised cells that line the entire surface of the three serosal cavities (pleural, pericardial and peritoneal) and in the male, the sac which surrounds the testes. This layer of cells is termed 'mesothelium' with the visceral mesothelium lining the internal organs and the parietal mesothelium lining the body wall. The mesothelium was first described by Bichat in 1827 but it was not until 1890 that Minot proposed the term 'mesothelium' to reflect the epitheliallike nature of the cells lining the mammalian mesodermic cavities [1]. Despite the early discovery and description of the mesothelium, it has only been in recent years that its importance both in health and disease has been realised.