title: Shear stress induces endothelial transdifferentiation from mouse smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) under shear stress may alter their gene expression patterns to adapt to a new hemodynamic environment. Their plasticity may play an important role in vascular development, healing, and remodeling as well as vascular lesion formation under abnormal environmental conditions. A mouse vascular SMC line (P53LMACO1) cultured under shear stress significantly increased the mRNA levels of endothelial cell markers including Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and VE-cadherin, while significantly decreasing the mRNA levels of SMC markers including alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), calponin-1, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC), and transgelin as compared to static control cells. Protein levels of PECAM-1 and vWF were significantly increased, while protein levels of alpha-SMA were substantially decreased in the shear stress-cultured cells. In addition, shear stress-cultured cells showed an enhanced capability to form capillary-like structures on Matrigel. Thus, shear stress may promote endothelial cell transdifferentiation from SMCs.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Surgeon Research Center, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shaoyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Gordon M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Riha
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qizhi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Changyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D048430:Cell Shape; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000099152:Cadherin 5
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D015820:Cadherins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D000099152:Cadherin 5