The role of shear stress in Blood-Brain Barrier endothelial physiology
2011
The Role of Shear Stress in Blood-Brain Barrier Endothelial Physiology
Sample size: 4
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Cucullo Luca, Hossain Mohammed, Puvenna Vikram, Marchi Nicola, Janigro Damir
Primary Institution: Cleveland Clinic
Hypothesis
Shear stress affects endothelial cells by modulating the induction/suppression of genes that impact the development of blood-brain barrier properties and functions.
Conclusion
Shear stress plays a key role in promoting the differentiation of vascular endothelial cells into a blood-brain barrier phenotype.
Supporting Evidence
- Shear stress increased the RNA levels of tight and adherens junction proteins.
- Endothelial cells exposed to shear stress formed a significantly tighter barrier compared to those grown under static conditions.
- Shear stress upregulated the expression of multidrug resistance transporters and cytochrome P450 enzymes.
- Shear stress modulated the glycolytic bioenergetic pathways in favor of aerobic respiration.
- Shear stress inhibited endothelial cell proliferation by increasing the RNA levels of negative regulators of the cell cycle.
Takeaway
Shear stress helps brain blood vessels become stronger and better at keeping harmful things out of the brain.
Methodology
The study used a humanized dynamic in vitro blood-brain barrier model and cDNA microarrays to profile the effects of shear stress on endothelial cells.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website