http://www.sciencedirect.com – Blood vessels are permanently subjected to mechanical forces in the form of stretch, encompassing cyclic mechanical strain due to the pulsatile nature of blood flow, and shear stress. Alterations in stretch or shear stress invariably produce transformations in the vessel wall that will aim to accommodate the new conditions and to ultimately restore basal levels of tensile stress and shear stress. Vascular cells are equipped with numerous receptors that allow them to detect and respond to the mechanical forces generated by pressure and shear stress. Read more »