mechanotransduction.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80 – Forces associated with blood flow are major determinants of vascular morphogenesis and physiology. Blood flow is crucial for blood vessel development during embryogenesis and for regulation of vessel diameter in adult life. It is also a key factor in atherosclerosis, which, despite the systemic nature of major risk factors, occurs mainly at regions of arteries that experience disturbances in fluid flow. Recent data have highlighted the potential endothelial mechanotransducers that mediate responses to flow, the effects of atheroprotective versus atherogenic flow, and the mechanisms that contribute to progression of the disease over time and how systemic factors interact with flow patterns to cause atherosclerosis. Read »