Fluid shear stress suppresses interleukin 8 production by vascular endothelial cells

The effects of shear stress on interleukin 8 (IL-8) production by human umb ilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were studied by subjecting the HUVEC to a steady flow laminar shear stress of up to 0.7 N/m(2) in a parallel pla te flow chamber. Shear stress decreased IL-8 mRNA expression in a dose and time-dependent fashion. High glucose concentrations increased IL-8 mRNA lev els in a MAPK-p38-dependent manner, which was suppressed by shear stress. M easurement of IL-8 protein in HUVEC culture media by ELISA demonstrated tha t IL-8 secretion was also increased by high glucose and suppressed by shear stress. These results suggest that the anti-atherogenic effect of shear st ress arises partly from the suppression of the production of IL-8 which has been shown to trigger the adhesion of monocytes to a vascular endothelium and also acts as a mitogen and chemoattractant for vascular smooth muscle c ells.