Quantification of Morphological Modulation, F-Actin Remodeling, and PECAM-1 (CD-31) Redistribution in Endothelial Cells in Response to Fluid-Induced Shear Stress Under Various Flow Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Avari ◽  
Kem A. Rogers ◽  
Eric Savory

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally. Arterial endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction plays a key role in many of these CVDs, such as atherosclerosis. Blood flow-induced wall shear stress (WSS), among many other pathophysiological factors, is known to significantly contribute to EC dysfunction. The present study reports an in vitro investigation of the effect of quantified WSS on ECs, analyzing the EC morphometric parameters and cytoskeletal remodeling. The effects of four different flow cases (low steady laminar (LSL), medium steady laminar (MSL), nonzero-mean sinusoidal laminar (NZMSL), and laminar carotid (LCRD) waveforms) on the EC area, perimeter, shape index (SI), angle of orientation, F-actin bundle remodeling, and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) localization were studied. For the first time, a flow facility was fully quantified for the uniformity of flow over ECs and for WSS determination (as opposed to relying on analytical equations). The SI and angle of orientation were found to be the most flow-sensitive morphometric parameters. A two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2D FFT) based image processing technique was applied to analyze the F-actin directionality, and an alignment index (AI) was defined accordingly. Also, a significant peripheral loss of PECAM-1 in ECs subjected to atheroprone cases (LSL and NZMSL) with a high cell surface/cytoplasm stain of this protein is reported, which may shed light on of the mechanosensory role of PECAM-1 in mechanotransduction.

1986 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 2114-2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Davies ◽  
A. Remuzzi ◽  
E. J. Gordon ◽  
C. F. Dewey ◽  
M. A. Gimbrone

1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (6) ◽  
pp. H1992-H1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jo ◽  
R. O. Dull ◽  
T. M. Hollis ◽  
J. M. Tarbell

Altered permeability of vascular endothelium to macromolecules may play a role in vascular disease as well as vascular homeostasis. Because the shear stress of flowing blood on the vascular wall is known to influence many endothelial cell properties, an in vitro system to measure transendothelial permeability (Pe) to fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated bovine serum albumin under defined physiological levels of steady laminar shear stress was developed. Bovine aortic endothelial cells grown on polycarbonate filters pretreated with gelatin and fibronectin constituted the model system. Onset of 1 dyn/cm2 shear stress resulted in a Pe rise from 5.1 +/- 1.3 x 10(-6) cm/s to 21.9 +/- 4.6 X 10(-6) cm/s at 60 min (n = 6); while 10 dyn/cm2 shear stress increased Pe from 4.8 +/- 1.5 X 10(-6) cm/s to 50.2 +/- 6.8 X 10(-6) cm/s at 30 min and 49.6 +/- 8.9 X 10(-6) cm/s at 60 (n = 9). Pe returned to preshear values within 120 and 60 min after removal of 1 and 10 dyn/cm2 shear stress, respectively. The data show that endothelial cell Pe in vitro is acutely sensitive to shear stress.


1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Gimbrone ◽  
C F Dewey ◽  
P F Davies ◽  
S R Bussolari

The vascular endothelial lining in vivo is constantly subjected to hemodynamic shear stresses resulting from normal and altered patterns of blood flow. To facilitate the study of effects of fluid shear stress on endothelial cell structure and function, we have developed an in vitro system, utilizing a cone-plate apparatus, to subject coverslip cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) to controlled levels of shear (up to 102 dynes/cm2) in either laminar or turbulent flow. The magnitude and direction of shear stress within the system are accurately known from both theory and experimental measurements. The data reported here are for laminar flow. Subconfluent BAEC cultures continuously exposed to 1-5 dynes/cm2 shear proliferated at a rate comparable to that of static cultures, and postconfluent monolayers appeared unaltered morphologically for up to 1 week. In contrast, BAEC cultures (both postconfluent and subconfluent) exposed to 8 dynes/cm2 developed dramatic, time-dependent morphological changes. By 48 hrs, cells uniformly assumed an ellipsoidal configuration, with their major axes aligned in the direction of flow. Exposure to >10 dynes/cm2 caused variable cell detachment from plain glass substrates. Cellular migration into linear “wounds”, created in confluent areas, was influenced by both the direction and amplitude of applied shear. Exposure to 8 dynes/ cm2 induced functional alterations, including increased fluid (bulk phase) endocytosis, prostaglandin production and platelet reactivity. These observations indicate that fluid mechanical forces can directly influence endothelial cell structure and function. Hemodynamic modulation of endothelial cell behavior may be relevant to normal vessel wall physiology, as well as the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and thrombosis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Rouleau ◽  
Monica Farcas ◽  
Jean-Claude Tardif ◽  
Rosaire Mongrain ◽  
Richard L. Leask

Endothelial cells are known to respond to hemodynamic forces. Their phenotype has been suggested to differ between atheroprone and atheroprotective regions of the vasculature, which are characterized by the local hemodynamic environment. Once an atherosclerotic plaque has formed in a vessel, the obstruction creates complex spatial gradients in wall shear stress. Endothelial cell response to wall shear stress may be linked to the stability of coronary plaques. Unfortunately, in vitro studies of the endothelial cell involvement in plaque stability have been limited by unrealistic and simplified geometries, which cannot reproduce accurately the hemodynamics created by a coronary stenosis. Hence, in an attempt to better replicate the spatial wall shear stress gradient patterns in an atherosclerotic region, a three dimensional asymmetric stenosis model was created. Human abdominal aortic endothelial cells were exposed to steady flow (Re=50, 100, and 200 and τ=4.5 dyn/cm2, 9 dyn/cm2, and 18 dyn/cm2) in idealized 50% asymmetric stenosis and straight/tubular in vitro models. Local morphological changes that occur due to magnitude, duration, and spatial gradients were quantified to identify differences in cell response. In the one dimensional flow regions, where flow is fully developed and uniform wall shear stress is observed, cells aligned in flow direction and had a spindlelike shape when compared with static controls. Morphological changes were progressive and a function of time and magnitude in these regions. Cells were more randomly oriented and had a more cobblestone shape in regions of spatial wall shear stress gradients. These regions were present, both proximal and distal, at the stenosis and on the wall opposite to the stenosis. The response of endothelial cells to spatial wall shear stress gradients both in regions of acceleration and deceleration and without flow recirculation has not been previously reported. This study shows the dependence of endothelial cell morphology on spatial wall shear stress gradients and demonstrates that care must be taken to account for altered phenotype due to geometric features. These results may help explain plaque stability, as cells in shoulder regions near an atherosclerotic plaque had a cobblestone morphology indicating that they may be more permeable to subendothelial transport and express prothrombotic factors, which would increase the risk of atherothrombosis.


1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Müller-Glauser ◽  
P. Zilla ◽  
M. Lachat ◽  
B. Bisang ◽  
F. Rieser ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
John H. Slater ◽  
Shailendra Jain ◽  
Robin N. Coger ◽  
Charles Y. Lee

Hypothermic machine perfusion preservation (MPP) has proven to be a successful technique for hypothermic kidney storage, however this technology has not successfully been applied to the liver. Recent research has indicated that the endothelial cells lining the liver sinusoids display rounding phenomena during MPP that is not fully understood. In order to gain a better understanding of endothelial cell shear stress response and the factors that induce rounding, a temperature-controlled micro-shear chamber has been designed and fabricated. The micro-shear chamber has been used to apply shear stresses, corresponding to those imposed during MPP, to rat liver primary endothelial cell cultures in order to form an understanding of how these stresses affect endothelial cell morphology. The chamber allows for the application of shear stresses ranging from 0.2 ± .01 dynes/cm2 to 2.3 ± 0.3 dynes/cm2, corresponding to what occurs during MPP.] Twenty-four hour in vitro experiments with shear stresses ranging from 0 to 1.49 dynes/cm2 at 4 °C were conducted in order to replicate in vivo conditions of the liver during hypothermic MPP. It has been demonstrated that endothelial cell rounding increases with increasing shear and can be prevented by utilizing low flow rates.


2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (6) ◽  
pp. H797-H806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Yurdagul ◽  
James J. Kleinedler ◽  
Marshall C. McInnis ◽  
Alok R. Khandelwal ◽  
Allyson L. Spence ◽  
...  

Restenosis is an adverse outcome of angioplasty, characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hyperplasia. However, therapies targeting VSMC proliferation delay reendothelialization, increasing the risk of thrombosis. Resveratrol (RESV) inhibits restenosis and promotes reendothelialization after arterial injury, but in vitro studies assessing RESV-mediated effects on endothelial cell growth contradict these findings. We thus hypothesized that fluid shear stress, mimicking physiological blood flow, would recapitulate RESV-dependent endothelial cell wound healing. Since RESV is an estrogen receptor (ER) agonist, we tested whether RESV promotes reendothelialization through an ER-α-dependent mechanism. Mice fed a high-fat diet or a diet supplemented with RESV were subjected to carotid artery injury. At 7 days after injury, RESV significantly accelerated reendothelialization compared with vehicle. In vitro wound healing assays demonstrated that RESV exhibits cell-type selectivity, inhibiting VSMC, but not endothelial cell growth. Under laminar shear stress (LSS), RESV dramatically enhanced endothelial cell wound healing and increased both the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and endothelial cell proliferation. Under LSS, small interfering RNA against ER-α, but not endothelial nitric oxide synthase, abolished RESV-induced ERK activation, endothelial cell proliferation, and wound healing. Thus these studies suggest that the EC phenotype induced by LSS better models the prohealing effects of RESV and that RESV and LSS interact to promote an ER-α-dependent mitogenic effect in endothelial cells.


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