Mechanosensing at the Vascular Interface

摘要

Mammals are endowed with a complex set of mechanisms that sense mechanical forces imparted by blood flow to endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells, and circulating blood cells to elicit biochemical responses through a process referred to as mechanotransduction. These biochemical responses arc critical for a host of other responses, including regulation of blood pressure, control of vascular permeability for maintaining adequate perfusion of tissues, and control of leukocyte recruitment during immunosurveillance and inflammation.