http://www.sciencedirect.com – Deletion or mutation of a variety of proteins localized at cell-matrix and cell-cell junctions, such as vinculin and its splice-variant metavinculin, can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy in mice and humans, leading some to hypothesize that these molecules are involved in mechanotransmission or mechanotransduction in the heart. To investigate cardiac mechanotransduction mechanisms in single cells, we have combined laser tweezers with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor to apply localized forces and probe localized signaling events in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes. Read more »

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80 – Angiogenesis is controlled by physical interactions between cells and extracellular matrix as well as soluble angiogenic factors, such as VEGF. However, the mechanism by which mechanical signals integrate with other microenvironmental cues to regulate neovascularization remains unknown. Here we show that the Rho inhibitor, p190RhoGAP, controls capillary network formation in vitro and retinal angiogenesis in vivo by modulating the balance of activities between two antagonistic transcription factors – TFII-I and GATA2 – that govern gene expression of the VEGF receptor, VEGFR2. Read more »

http://arjournals.annualreviews.org – The formation of an arterial aneurysm is believed to be a multifactorial and predominantly degenerative process, resulting from a complex interplay between biological processes in the arterial wall and the hemodynamic stimuli on the vessel's wall. Once an aneurysm forms, the repetitive pressure and shear stresses exerted by the blood flow on the weakened arterial wall generally, but not always, cause a gradual expansion. Read more »

http://www.sciencedirect.com – In heart muscle a mechanical stimulus is sensed and transformed into adaptive changes in cardiac function by a process called mechanotransduction. Adaptation of heart muscle to mechanical load consists of neurohumoral activation and growth, both of which decrease the initial load. Under prolonged overload this process becomes maladaptive, leading to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and ultimately to heart failure. Read more »

http://www.sciencedirect.com – In heart muscle a mechanical stimulus is sensed and transformed into adaptive changes in cardiac function by a process called mechanotransduction. Adaptation of heart muscle to mechanical load consists of neurohumoral activation and growth, both of which decrease the initial load. Under prolonged overload this process becomes maladaptive, leading to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and ultimately to heart failure. Read more »