Cellular and Molecular Effects of Mechanical Stretch on Vascular Cells

Abstract

The vascular endothelium is a dynamic cellular interface between the vessel wall and the blood stream. It plays an important role by sensing the alterations in biological, chemical, and physical properties of blood flow to maintain homeostasis. Cells in the cardiovascular system are permanently subjected to mechanical forces due to pulsatile nature of blood flow and shear stress, created by the beating hearts. These haemodynamic forces play an important role in the regulation of vascular development, remodeling, wound healing, atherosclerotic lesion formation, and endothelial progenitor cell function. Mechanical stretch can modulate cell alignment and differentiation, migration, survival or apoptosis, vascular remodeling, and autocrine and paracrine functions in smooth muscle cells. Laminar shear stress exerts anti-apoptotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-thrombotic effects on endothelial cells. However, low shear stress or high laminar shear stress exerts atherogenic effect on endothelial cells. Knowledge of the impact of mechanical stretch on the cardiovascular system is vital to the understanding of pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and is also crucial to provide new insights in the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.