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Subcellular distribution of shear stress at the surface of flow-aligned and nonaligned endothelial monolayers
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Subcellular distribution of shear stress at the surface of flow-aligned and nonaligned endothelial monolayers

K A Barbee, T Mundel, R Lal and P F Davies
The American journal of physiology, v 268(4 Pt 2), pp H1765-H1772
Apr 1995
PMID: 7733381

Abstract

Endothelium, Vascular - cytology Animals Cattle Models, Cardiovascular Cytological Techniques Microscopy, Atomic Force Stress, Mechanical Blood Circulation Endothelium, Vascular - physiology
The stresses acting on the luminal surface of endothelial cells due to shear flow were determined on a subcellular scale. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the surface topography of confluent endothelial monolayers cultured under no-flow conditions or exposed to steady shear stress (12 dyn/cm2 for 24 h). Flow over these surface geometries was simulated by computational fluid dynamics, and the distribution of shear stress on the cell surface was calculated. Flow perturbations due to the undulating surface produced cell-scale variations of shear stress magnitude and hence large shear stress gradients. Reorganization of the endothelial surface in response to prolonged exposure to steady flow resulted in significant reductions in the peak shear stresses and shear stress gradients. From the relationship between surface geometry and the resulting shear stress distribution, we have defined a hydrodynamic shape factor that characterizes the three-dimensional morphological response of endothelial cells to flow. The analysis provides a complete description of the spatial distribution of stresses on individual endothelial cells within a confluent monolayer on a scale relevant to the study of physical mechanisms of mechanotransduction.

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Web of Science research areas
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Physiology
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