SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN EARLY SIGNALING EVENTS OF FLOW-MEDIATED ENDOTHELIAL MECHANOTRANSDUCTION

Blood flow interactions with the vascular endothelium represent a spec ialized example of mechanical regulation of cell function that has imp ortant physiological and pathological cardiovascular consequences. The endothelial monolayer in vivo acts as a signal transduction interface for forces associated with flowing blood (hemodynamic forces) in the acute regulation of artery tone and chronic structural remodeling of a rteries, including the pathology of atherosclerosis. Mechanisms relate d to spatial relationships at the cell surfaces and throughout the cel l that influence flow-mediated endothelial mechanotransduction are dis cussed. In particular, how-mediated ion channel activation and cytoske letal dynamics are considered in relation to topographic analyses of t he luminal and abluminal surfaces of living endothelial cells.