Shear stress and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) affect endothelial transport properties through common signaling pathways

摘要

The transport properties of vascular endothelium are infuenced by the mechanical forces of blood flow (shear stress, stretch, pressure) as well as humoral factors including hormones, cytokines and other biomolecules. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that acts as an important regulator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability in vivo (Brown et al., 1997). However, there have been only a few studies of the effects of VEGF on endothelial transport properties in vitro. The effects of fluid shear stress on endothelial transport properties have been studied in vitro in only one model, bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs; Jo et al., 1991; Sill et al., 1995). In this study we measured the hydraulic conductivity of in ivtro monolayers of three common endothelial cell types (human umbilical vein ECs - HUVECs, bovine retinal microvascular ECs - BRECs, and BAECs) in response to VEGF and shear stress.