Chapter 2 - Molecular mechanisms of the vascular responses to hemodynamic forces

Abstract

Endothelial and smooth muscle cells of the vasculature are equipped with numerous receptors that allow them to detect and react to subtle changes in their physical environment. Modifications in stretch (due to blood pressure) or shear stress (which increases with blood flow) initiate mechanotransduction cascades that vary with the strength and nature of the stimulus. Interacting with the extracellular matrix, integrins transmit changes in tension to focal adhesion sites and cytoskeletal proteins within vascular cells. Cell surface proteins, acting alone or in complexes, undergo morphological or chemical transformations, initiating protein phosphorylation cascades, release of reactive oxygen species, and changes in the ionic composition of cells. Downstream, the activation of endothelial NO synthase, NFκB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), or the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways account for many of the responses that govern the vascular adaptation to mechanical factors.