Rapid mechanotransduction in situ at the luminal cell surface of vascular endothelium and its caveolae

Beyond stiffness: deciphering the role of viscoelasticity in cancer evolution and treatment response

There is increasing evidence that cancer progression is linked to tissue viscoelasticity, which challenges the commonly accepted notion that stiffness is the main mechanical hallmark of cancer. However, this new insight has not reached widespread clinical use, as most clinical trials focus on the application of tissue elasticity and stiffness in diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical planning. Therefore, there is a need to advance the fundamental understanding of the effect of viscoelasticity on cancer progression, to develop novel mechanical biomarkers of clinical significance. Tissue viscoelasticity is largely determined by the extracellular matrix (ECM), which can be simulatedin vitrousing hydrogel-based platforms. Since the mechanical properties of hydrogels can be easily adjusted by changing parameters such as molecular weight and crosslinking type, they provide a platform to systematically study the relationship between ECM viscoelasticity and cancer progression. This review begins with an overview of cancer viscoelasticity, describing how tumor cells interact with biophysical signals in their environment, how they contribute to tumor viscoelasticity, and how this translates into cancer progression. Next, an overview of clinical trials focused on measuring biomechanical properties of tumors is presented, highlighting the biomechanical properties utilized for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. Finally, this review examines the use of biofabricated tumor models for studying the impact of ECM viscoelasticity on cancer behavior and progression and it explores potential avenues for future research on the production of more sophisticated and biomimetic tumor models, as well as their mechanical evaluation.

Origin and flow-mediated remodeling of the murine and human extraembryonic circulation systems

The transduction of mechanical stimuli produced by blood flow is an important regulator of vascular development. The vitelline and umbilico-placental circulations are extraembryonic vascular systems that are required for proper embryonic development in mammalian embryos. The morphogenesis of the extraembryonic vasculature and the cardiovascular system of the embryo are hemodynamically and molecularly connected. Here we provide an overview of the establishment of the murine and human vitelline and umbilico-placental vascular systems and how blood flow influences various steps in their development. A deeper comprehension of extraembryonic vessel development may aid the establishment of stem-cell based embryo models and provide novel insights to understanding pregnancy complications related to the umbilical cord and placenta.

Mechanosensing by Vascular Endothelium

Mechanical forces influence different cell types in our bodies. Among the earliest forces experienced in mammals is blood movement in the vascular system. Blood flow starts at the embryonic stage and ceases when the heart stops. Blood flow exposes endothelial cells (ECs) that line all blood vessels to hemodynamic forces. ECs detect these mechanical forces (mechanosensing) through mechanosensors, thus triggering physiological responses such as changes in vascular diameter. In this review, we focus on endothelial mechanosensing and on how different ion channels, receptors, and membrane structures detect forces and mediate intricate mechanotransduction responses. We further highlight that these responses often reflect collaborative efforts involving several mechanosensors and mechanotransducers. We close with a consideration of current knowledge regarding the dysregulation of endothelial mechanosensing during disease. Because hemodynamic disruptions are hallmarks of cardiovascular disease, studying endothelial mechanosensing holds great promise for advancing our understanding of vascular physiology and pathophysiology.

Necessary Role of Acute Ceramide Formation in The Human Microvascular Endothelium During Health and Disease

Background

Elevated plasma ceramides independently predict adverse cardiac events and we have previously shown that exposure to exogenous ceramide induces microvascular endothelial dysfunction in arterioles from otherwise healthy adults (0-1 risk factors for heart disease). However, evidence also suggests that activation of the shear-sensitive, ceramide forming enzyme neutral sphingomyelinase (NSmase) enhances vasoprotective nitric oxide (NO) production. Here we explore a novel hypothesis that acute ceramide formation through NSmase is necessary for maintaining NO signaling within the human microvascular endothelium. We further define the mechanism through which ceramide exerts beneficial effects and discern key mechanistic differences between arterioles from otherwise healthy adults and patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods

Human arterioles were dissected from otherwise discarded surgical adipose tissue (n=123), and vascular reactivity to flow and C2-ceramide was assessed. Shear-induced NO production was measured in arterioles using fluorescence microscopy. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fluorescence was assessed in isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Results

Inhibition of NSmase in arterioles from otherwise healthy adults induced a switch from NO to H2O2-mediated flow-induced dilation within 30 minutes. In endothelial cells, NSmase inhibition acutely increased H2O2 production. Endothelial dysfunction in both models was prevented by treatment with C2-ceramide, S1P, and an agonist of S1P-receptor 1 (S1PR1), while the inhibition of S1P/S1PR1 signaling axis induced endothelial dysfunction. Ceramide increased NO production in arterioles from healthy adults, an effect that was diminished with inhibition of S1P/S1PR1/S1PR3 signaling. In arterioles from patients with CAD, inhibition of NSmase impaired dilation to flow. This effect was not restored with exogenous S1P. Although, inhibition of S1P/S1PR3 signaling impaired normal dilation to flow. Acute ceramide administration to arterioles from patients with CAD also promoted H2O2 as opposed to NO production, an effect dependent on S1PR3 signaling.

Conclusion

These data suggest that despite key differences in downstream signaling between health and disease, acute NSmase-mediated ceramide formation and its subsequent conversion to S1P is necessary for proper functioning of the human microvascular endothelium. As such, therapeutic strategies that aim to significantly lower ceramide formation may prove detrimental to the microvasculature.

Vascular mechanotransduction

This review aims to survey the current state of mechanotransduction in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs), including their sensing of mechanical stimuli and transduction of mechanical signals that result in the acute functional modulation and longer-term transcriptomic and epigenetic regulation of blood vessels. The mechanosensors discussed include ion channels, plasma membrane-associated structures and receptors, and junction proteins. The mechanosignaling pathways presented include the cytoskeleton, integrins, extracellular matrix, and intracellular signaling molecules. These are followed by discussions on mechanical regulation of transcriptome and epigenetics, relevance of mechanotransduction to health and disease, and interactions between VSMCs and ECs. Throughout this review, we offer suggestions for specific topics that require further understanding. In the closing section on conclusions and perspectives, we summarize what is known and point out the need to treat the vasculature as a system, including not only VSMCs and ECs but also the extracellular matrix and other types of cells such as resident macrophages and pericytes, so that we can fully understand the physiology and pathophysiology of the blood vessel as a whole, thus enhancing the comprehension, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of vascular diseases.

Control of hydrostatic pressure and osmotic stress in 3D cell culture for mechanobiological studies

Hydrostatic pressure (HP) and osmotic stress (OS) play an important role in various biological processes, such as cell proliferation and differentiation. In contrast to canonical mechanical signals transmitted through the anchoring points of the cells with the extracellular matrix, the physical and molecular mechanisms that transduce HP and OS into cellular functions remain elusive. Three-dimensional cell cultures show great promise to replicate physiologically relevant signals in well-defined host bioreactors with the goal of shedding light on hidden aspects of the mechanobiology of HP and OS. This review starts by introducing prevalent mechanisms for the generation of HP and OS signals in biological tissues that are subject to pathophysiological mechanical loading. We then revisit various mechanisms in the mechanotransduction of HP and OS, and describe the current state of the art in bioreactors and biomaterials for the control of the corresponding physical signals.

Rafting on the Plasma Membrane: Lipid Rafts in Signaling and Disease

The plasma membrane is not a uniform phospholipid bilayer; it has specialized membrane nano- or microdomains called lipid rafts. Lipid rafts are small cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich plasma membrane islands. Although their existence was long debated, their presence in the plasma membrane of living cells is now well accepted with the advent of super-resolution imaging techniques. It is interesting to note that lipid rafts function to compartmentalize receptors and their regulators and substantially modulate cellular signaling. In this review, we will examine the role of lipid rafts and caveolae-lipid raft-like microdomains with a distinct 3D morphology-in cellular signaling. Moreover, we will investigate how raft compartmentalized signaling regulates diverse physiological processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, immune signaling, and development. Also, the deregulation of lipid raft-mediated signaling during tumorigenesis and metastasis will be explored.

Hemodynamic Forces, Endothelial Mechanotransduction, and Vascular Diseases

Cells in the tissues and organs of a living body are subjected to mechanical forces, such as pressure, friction, and tension from their surrounding environment. Cells are equipped with a mechanotransduction mechanism by which they perceive mechanical forces and transmit information into the cell interior, thereby causing physiological or pathogenetic mechano-responses. Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the inner surface of blood vessels are constantly exposed to shear stress caused by blood flow and a cyclic strain caused by intravascular pressure. A number of studies have shown that ECs are sensitive to changes in these hemodynamic forces and alter their morphology and function, sometimes by modifying gene expression. The mechanism of endothelial mechanotransduction has been elucidated, and the plasma membrane has recently been shown to act as a mechanosensor. The lipid order and cholesterol content of plasma membranes change immediately upon the exposure of ECs to hemodynamic forces, resulting in a change in membrane fluidity. These changes in a plasma membrane's physical properties affect the conformation and function of various ion channels, receptors, and microdomains (such as caveolae and primary cilia), thereby activating a wide variety of downstream signaling pathways. Such endothelial mechanotransduction works to maintain circulatory homeostasis; however, errors in endothelial mechanotransduction can cause abnormalities in vascular physiological function, leading to the initiation and progression of various vascular diseases, such as hypertension, thrombosis, aneurysms, and atherosclerosis. Recent advances in detailed imaging technology and computational fluid dynamics analysis have enabled us to evaluate the hemodynamic forces acting on vascular tissue accurately, contributing greatly to our understanding of vascular mechanotransduction and the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, as well as the development of new therapies for vascular diseases.

Fluid shear stress-mediated mechanotransduction in circulating leukocytes and its defect in microvascular dysfunction

Leukocytes (neutrophils, monocytes) in the active circulation exhibit multiple phenotypic indicators for a low level of cellular activity, like lack of pseudopods and minimal amounts of activated, cell-adhesive integrins on their surfaces. In contrast, before these cells enter the circulation in the bone marrow or when they recross the endothelium into extravascular tissues of peripheral organs they are fully activated. We review here a multifaceted mechanism mediated by fluid shear stress that can serve to deactivate leukocytes in the circulation. The fluid shear stress controls pseudopod formation via the FPR receptor, the same receptor responsible for pseudopod projection by localized actin polymerization. The bioactivity of macromolecular factors in the blood plasma that interfere with receptor stimulation by fluid flow, such as proteolytic cleavage in the extracellular domain of the receptor or the membrane actions of cholesterol, leads to a defective ability to respond to fluid shear stress by actin depolymerization. The cell reaction to fluid shear involves CD18 integrins, nitric oxide, cGMP and Rho GTPases, is attenuated in the presence of inflammatory mediators and modified by glucocorticoids. The mechanism is abolished in disease models (genetic hypertension and hypercholesterolemia) leading to an increased number of activated leukocytes in the circulation with enhanced microvascular resistance and cell entrapment. In addition to their role in binding to biochemical agonists/antagonists, membrane receptors appear to play a second role: to monitor local fluid shear stress levels. The fluid shear stress control of many circulating cell types such as lymphocytes, stem cells, tumor cells remains to be elucidated.

Endothelial caveolin and its scaffolding domain in cancer

Since the initial reports implicating caveolin-1 (CAV1) in neoplasia, the scientific community has made tremendous strides towards understanding how CAV1-dependent signaling and caveolae assembly modulate solid tumor growth. Once a solid neoplastic tumor reaches a certain size, it will increasingly rely on its stroma to meet the metabolic demands of the rapidly proliferating cancer cells, a limitation typically but not exclusively addressed via the formation of new blood vessels. Landmark studies using xenograft tumor models have highlighted the importance of stromal CAV1 during neoplastic blood vessel growth from preexisting vasculature, a process called angiogenesis, and helped identify endothelium-specific signaling events regulated by CAV1, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors as well as the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) systems. This chapter provides a glimpse into the signaling events modulated by CAV1 and its scaffolding domain (CSD) during endothelial-specific aspects of neoplastic growth, such as vascular permeability, angiogenesis, and mechanotransduction.

Caveolae and lipid sorting: Shaping the cellular response to stress

Caveolae are an abundant and characteristic surface feature of many vertebrate cells. The uniform shape of caveolae is characterized by a bulb with consistent curvature connected to the plasma membrane (PM) by a neck region with opposing curvature. Caveolae act in mechanoprotection by flattening in response to increased membrane tension, and their disassembly influences the lipid organization of the PM. Here, we review evidence for caveolae as a specialized lipid domain and speculate on mechanisms that link changes in caveolar shape and/or protein composition to alterations in specific lipid species. We propose that high membrane curvature in specific regions of caveolae can enrich specific lipid species, with consequent changes in their localization upon caveolar flattening. In addition, we suggest how changes in the association of lipid-binding caveolar proteins upon flattening of caveolae could allow release of specific lipids into the bulk PM. We speculate that the caveolae-lipid system has evolved to function as a general stress-sensing and stress-protective membrane domain.

Recruitment and maturation of the coronary collateral circulation: Current understanding and perspectives in arteriogenesis

The coronary collateral circulation is a rich anastomotic network of primitive vessels which have the ability to augment in size and function through the process of arteriogenesis. In this review, we evaluate the current understandings of the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which this process occurs, specifically focussing on elevated fluid shear stress (FSS), inflammation, the redox state and gene expression along with the integrative, parallel and simultaneous process by which this occurs. The initiating step of arteriogenesis occurs following occlusion of an epicardial coronary artery, with an increase in FSS detected by mechanoreceptors within the endothelium. This must occur within a 'redox window' where an equilibrium of oxidative and reductive factors are present. These factors initially result in an inflammatory milieu, mediated by neutrophils as well as lymphocytes, with resultant activation of a number of downstream molecular pathways resulting in increased expression of proteins involved in monocyte attraction and adherence; namely vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Once monocytes and other inflammatory cells adhere to the endothelium they enter the extracellular matrix and differentiate into macrophages in an effort to create a favourable environment for vessel growth and development. Activated macrophages secrete inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and matrix metalloproteinases. Finally, vascular smooth muscle cells proliferate and switch to a contractile phenotype, resulting in an increased diameter and functionality of the collateral vessel, thereby allowing improved perfusion of the distal myocardium subtended by the occluded vessel. This simultaneously reduces FSS within the collateral vessel, inhibiting further vessel growth.

Therapeutic Angiogenesis with Sound Waves

Along with the progress of global aging, the prognosis of severe ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains poor, and thus the development of effective angiogenic therapy remains an important clinical unmet need. We have developed low-energy extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy as an innovative minimally invasive angiogenic therapy and confirmed its efficacy in a porcine chronic myocardial ischemia model in animal experiments as well as in patients with refractory angina. Since ultrasound is more advantageous for clinical application than shock waves, we then aimed to develop ultrasound therapy for IHD. We demonstrated that specific conditions of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) therapy improve myocardial ischemia in animal models through the enhancement of angiogenesis mediated by endothelial mechanotransduction. To examine the effectiveness of our LIPUS therapy in patients with severe angina pectoris, we are now conducting a prospective multicenter clinical trial in Japan. Furthermore, to overcome the current serious situation of dementia pandemic but with no effective treatments worldwide, we have recently demonstrated that our LIPUS therapy also improves cognitive impairment in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Here, we summarize the progress in our studies to develop angiogenic therapies with sound waves.

Elevated Wall Tension Leads to Reduced miR-133a in the Thoracic Aorta by Exosome Release

Background

Reduced miR‐133a was previously found to be associated with thoracic aortic (TA) dilation, as seen in aneurysm disease. Because wall tension increases with vessel diameter (Law of Laplace), this study tested the hypothesis that elevated tension led to the reduction of miR‐133a in the TA.

Methods and Results

Elevated tension (1.5 g; 150 mm Hg) applied to murine TA ex vivo reduced miR‐133a tissue abundance compared with TA held at normotension (0.7 g; 70 mm Hg). Cellular miR‐133a levels were reduced with biaxial stretch of isolated murine TA fibroblasts, whereas smooth muscle cells were not affected. Mechanisms contributing to the loss of miR‐133a abundance were further investigated in TA fibroblasts. Biaxial stretch did not reduce primary miR‐133a transcription and had no effect on the expression/abundance of 3 microRNA‐specific exoribonucleases. Remarkably, biaxial stretch increased exosome secretion, and exosomes isolated from TA fibroblasts contained more miR‐133a. Inhibition of exosome secretion prevented the biaxial stretch‐induced reduction of miR‐133a. Subsequently, 2 in vivo models of hypertension were used to determine the effect of elevated wall tension on miR‐133a abundance in the TA: wild‐type mice with osmotic pump–mediated angiotensin II infusion and angiotensin II–independent spontaneously hypertensive mice. Interestingly, the abundance of miR‐133a was decreased in TA tissue and increased in the plasma in both models of hypertension compared with a normotensive control group. Furthermore, miR‐133a was elevated in the plasma of hypertensive human subjects, compared with normotensive patients.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results identified exosome secretion as a tension‐sensitive mechanism by which miR‐133a abundance was reduced in TA fibroblasts.

Pharmacological and Genetic Inhibition of Caveolin-1 Promotes Epithelialization and Wound Closure

Chronic wounds-including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers-represent a major health problem that demands an urgent solution and new therapies. Despite major burden to patients, health care professionals, and health care systems worldwide, there are no efficacious therapies approved for treatment of chronic wounds. One of the major obstacles in achieving wound closure in patients is the lack of epithelial migration. Here, we used multiple pre-clinical wound models to show that Caveolin-1 (Cav1) impedes healing and that targeting Cav1 accelerates wound closure. We found that Cav1 expression is significantly upregulated in wound edge biopsies of patients with non-healing wounds, confirming its healing-inhibitory role. Conversely, Cav1 was absent from the migrating epithelium and is downregulated in acutely healing wounds. Specifically, Cav1 interacted with membranous glucocorticoid receptor (mbGR) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in a glucocorticoid-dependent manner to inhibit cutaneous healing. However, pharmacological disruption of caveolae by MβCD or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Cav1 knockdown resulted in disruption of Cav1-mbGR and Cav1-EGFR complexes and promoted epithelialization and wound healing. Our data reveal a novel mechanism of inhibition of epithelialization and wound closure, providing a rationale for pharmacological targeting of Cav1 as potential therapy for patients with non-healing chronic wounds.

Role of the Endocytosis of Caveolae in Intracellular Signaling and Metabolism

Caveolae are 60-80 nm invaginated plasma membrane (PM) nanodomains, with a specific lipid and protein composition, which assist and regulate multiple processes in the plasma membrane-ranging from the organization of signalling complexes to the mechanical adaptation to changes in PM tension. However, since their initial descriptions, these structures have additionally been found tightly linked to internalization processes, mechanoadaptation, to the regulation of signalling events and of endosomal trafficking. Here, we review caveolae biology from this perspective, and its implications for cell physiology and disease.

Pro-atherosclerotic disturbed flow disrupts caveolin-1 expression, localization, and function via glycocalyx degradation

BACKGROUND

Endothelial-dependent atherosclerosis develops in a non-random pattern in regions of vessel bending and bifurcations, where blood flow exhibits disturbed flow (DF) patterns. In contrast, uniform flow (UF), normal endothelium, and healthy vessel walls co-exist within straight vessels. In clarifying how flow protectively or atherogenically regulates endothelial cell behavior, involvement of the endothelial surface glycocalyx has been suggested due to reduced expression in regions of atherosclerosis development. Here, we hypothesized that pro-atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction occurs as a result of DF-induced reduction in glycocalyx expression and subsequently impairs endothelial sensitivity to flow. Specifically, we propose that glycocalyx degradation can induce pro-atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction through decreased caveolin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and localization.

METHODS

We studied endothelial cells in atherosclerotic-prone DF and atherosclerotic-resistant UF conditions in parallel plate flow culture and in C57Bl/6 mice. The effects of flow conditioning on endothelial cell behavior were quantified using immunocytochemistry. The glycocalyx was fluorescently labeled for wheat germ agglutinin, which serves as a general glycocalyx label, and heparan sulfate, a major glycocalyx component. Additionally, mechanosensitivity was assessed by immunocytochemical fluorescence expression and function of caveolin-1, the protein that forms the mechanosignaling caveolar invaginations on the endothelial surface, total endothelial-type nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which synthesizes nitric oxide, and serine 1177 phosphorylated eNOS (eNOS-pS1177), which is the active form of eNOS. Caveolin function and eNOS expression and activation were correlated to glycocalyx expression. Heparinase III enzyme was used to degrade a major glycocalyx component, HS, to identify the role of the glycocalyx in caveoin-1 and eNOS-pS1177 regulation.

RESULTS

Results confirmed that DF reduces caveolin-1 expression and abolishes most of its subcellular localization preferences, when compared to the effect of UF. DF down-regulates caveolin-1 mechanosignaling, as indicated by its reduced colocalization with serine 1177 phosphorylated endothelial-type nitric oxide synthase (eNOS-pS1177), a vasoregulatory signaling molecule whose activity is regulated by its residence in caveolae. As expected, DF inhibited glycocalyx expression compared to UF. In the absence of heparan sulfate, a major glycocalyx component, UF-conditioned endothelial cells exhibited near DF-like caveolin-1 expression, localization, and colocalization with eNOS-pS1177.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first demonstration of a flow-defined role of the glycocalyx in caveolae expression and function related to vasculoprotective endothelial mechanosensitivity that defends against atherosclerosis. The results suggest that a glycocalyx-based therapeutic targeted to areas of atherosclerosis development could prevent disease initiation and progression.

Emerging Role of Plasma Membranes in Vascular Endothelial Mechanosensing

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) maintain circulatory system homeostasis by changing their functions in response to changes in hemodynamic forces, including shear stress and stretching. However, it is unclear how ECs sense changes in shear stress and stretching and transduce these changes into intracellular biochemical signals. The plasma membranes of ECs have recently been shown to respond to shear stress and stretching differently by rapidly changing their lipid order, fluidity, and cholesterol content. Such changes in the membranes' physical properties trigger the activation of membrane receptors and cell responses specific to each type of force. Artificial lipid-bilayer membranes show similar changes in lipid order in response to shear stress and stretching, indicating that they are physical phenomena rather than biological reactions. These findings suggest that the plasma membranes of ECs act as mechanosensors; in response to mechanical forces, they first alter their physical properties, modifying the conformation and function of membrane proteins, which then activates downstream signaling pathways. This new appreciation of plasma membranes as mechanosensors could help to explain the distinctive features of mechanotransduction in ECs involving shear stress and stretching, which activate a variety of membrane proteins and multiple signal transduction pathways almost simultaneously.

Expression of caveolin-1 in the interfollicular but not the follicle-associated epithelial cells in the bursa of fabricius of chickens

The surface epithelium of the bursa of Fabricius consists of interfollicular (IFE) and follicle-associated epithelium (FAE). The IFE comprises (i) cylindrical-shaped secretory cells (SC) and (ii) cuboidal basal cells (BCs). The FAE provides histological and two-way functional connections between the bursal lumen and medulla of the follicle. We used a carbon solution and anti-caveolin-1 (Cav-1) to study the endocytic activity of FAE. Carbon particles entered the intercellular space of FAE, but the carbon particles were not internalized by the FAE cells. Cav-1 was not detectable in the FAE cells or the medulla of the bursal follicle. The absence of Cav-1 indicates that no caveolin-mediated endocytosis occurs in the FAE cells, B cells, bursal secretory dendritic cells (BSDC), or reticular epithelial cells. Surprisingly, a significant number of Cav-1 positive cells can be found among the SC, which are designated SC II. Cav-1 negative cell are called SC I, and they produce mucin for lubricating the bursal lumen and duct. Occasionally, BCs also express Cav-1, which suggests that BC is a precursor of a SC. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the existence of type I and II SC. The SC II are highly polarized and have an extensive trans-Golgi network that is rich in different granules and vesicles. Western blot analysis of bursa lysates revealed a 21-23 kDa compound (caveolin) and Filipin fluorescence histochemistry provided evidence for intracellular cholesterol. High amount of cholesterol in the feces shows the cholesterol efflux from SC II. The presence of Cav-1 and cholesterol in SC II indicates, that the bursa is a complex organ in addition to possessing immunological function contributes to the cholesterol homeostasis in the chickens.

Glycocalyx Degradation Induces a Proinflammatory Phenotype and Increased Leukocyte Adhesion in Cultured Endothelial Cells under Flow

Leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium is an early step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Effective adhesion requires the binding of leukocytes to their cognate receptors on the surface of endothelial cells. The glycocalyx covers the surface of endothelial cells and is important in the mechanotransduction of shear stress. This study aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of the glycocalyx in leukocyte adhesion under flow. We performed experiments using 3-D cell culture models, exposing human abdominal aortic endothelial cells to steady laminar shear stress (10 dynes/cm2 for 24 hours). We found that with the enzymatic degradation of the glycocalyx, endothelial cells developed a proinflammatory phenotype when exposed to uniform steady shear stress leading to an increase in leukocyte adhesion. Our results show an up-regulation of ICAM-1 with degradation compared to non-degraded controls (3-fold increase, p<0.05) and we attribute this effect to a de-regulation in NF-κB activity in response to flow. These results suggest that the glycocalyx is not solely a physical barrier to adhesion but rather plays an important role in governing the phenotype of endothelial cells, a key determinant in leukocyte adhesion. We provide evidence for how the destabilization of this structure may be an early and defining feature in the initiation of atherosclerosis.

Endothelial Mechanosignaling: Does One Sensor Fit All?

SIGNIFICANCE

Forces are important in the cardiovascular system, acting as regulators of vascular physiology and pathology. Residing at the blood vessel interface, cells (endothelial cell, EC) are constantly exposed to vascular forces, including shear stress. Shear stress is the frictional force exerted by blood flow, and its patterns differ based on vessel geometry and type. These patterns range from uniform laminar flow to nonuniform disturbed flow. Although ECs sense and differentially respond to flow patterns unique to their microenvironment, the mechanisms underlying endothelial mechanosensing remain incompletely understood.

RECENT ADVANCES

A large body of work suggests that ECs possess many mechanosensors that decorate their apical, junctional, and basal surfaces. These potential mechanosensors sense blood flow, translating physical force into biochemical signaling events.

CRITICAL ISSUES

Understanding the mechanisms by which proposed mechanosensors sense and respond to shear stress requires an integrative approach. It is also critical to understand the role of these mechanosensors not only during embryonic development but also in the different vascular beds in the adult. Possible cross talk and integration of mechanosensing via the various mechanosensors remain a challenge.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Determination of the hierarchy of endothelial mechanosensors is critical for future work, as is determination of the extent to which mechanosensors work together to achieve force-dependent signaling. The role and primary sensors of shear stress during development also remain an open question. Finally, integrative approaches must be used to determine absolute mechanosensory function of potential mechanosensors. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 25, 373-388.

Molecular mechanisms of the angiogenic effects of low-energy shock wave therapy: roles of mechanotransduction

We have previously demonstrated that low-energy extracorporeal cardiac shock wave (SW) therapy improves myocardial ischemia through enhanced myocardial angiogenesis in a porcine model of chronic myocardial ischemia and in patients with refractory angina pectoris. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms for the SW-induced angiogenesis remain unclear. In this study, we thus examined the effects of SW irradiation on intracellular signaling pathways in vitro. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 800 shots of low-energy SW (1 Hz at an energy level of 0.03 mJ/mm(2)). The SW therapy significantly upregulated mRNA expression and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The SW therapy also enhanced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) and Akt. Furthermore, the SW therapy enhanced phosphorylation of caveolin-1 and the expression of HUTS-4 that represents β1-integrin activity. These results suggest that caveolin-1 and β1-integrin are involved in the SW-induced activation of angiogenic signaling pathways. To further examine the signaling pathways involved in the SW-induced angiogenesis, HUVECs were transfected with siRNA of either β1-integrin or caveolin-1. Knockdown of either caveolin-1 or β1-integrin suppressed the SW-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Akt and upregulation of VEGF and eNOS. Knockdown of either caveolin-1 or β1-integrin also suppressed SW-induced enhancement of HUVEC migration in scratch assay. These results suggest that activation of mechanosensors on cell membranes, such as caveolin-1 and β1-integrin, and subsequent phosphorylation of Erk and Akt may play pivotal roles in the SW-induced angiogenesis.

Caveolae are involved in mechanotransduction during pulmonary hypertension

Caveolae are stiff plasma membrane microdomains implicated in various cell response mechanisms like Ca(2+) signaling and mechanotransduction. Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) transduce mechanical stimuli into Ca(2+) increase via plasma membrane stretch-activated channels (SAC). This mechanotransduction process is modified in pulmonary hypertension (PH) during which stretch forces are increased by the increase in arterial blood pressure. We propose to investigate how caveolae are involved in the pathophysiology of PH and particularly in mechanotransduction. PASMC were freshly isolated from control rats (Ctrl rats) and rats suffering from PH induced by 3 wk of chronic hypoxia (CH rats). Using a caveolae disrupter (methyl-β-cyclodextrin), we showed that SAC activity measured by patch-clamp, stretch-induced Ca(2+) increase measured with indo-1 probe and pulmonary arterial ring contraction to osmotic shock are enhanced in Ctrl rats when caveolae are disrupted. In CH rats, SAC activity, Ca(2+), and contraction responses to stretch are all higher compared with Ctrl rats. However, in contrast to Ctrl rats, caveolae disruption in CH-PASMC, reduces SAC activity, Ca(2+) responses to stretch and arterial contractions. Furthermore, by means of immunostainings and transmission electron microscopy, we observed that caveolae and caveolin-1 are expressed in PASMC from both Ctrl and CH rats and localize close to subplasmalemmal sarcoplasmic reticulum (ryanodine receptors) and mitochondria, thus facilitating Ca(2+) exchanges, particularly in CH. In conclusion, caveolae are implicated in mechanotransduction in Ctrl PASMC by buffering mechanical forces. In PH-PASMC, caveolae form a distinct Ca(2+) store facilitating Ca(2+) coupling between SAC and sarcoplasmic reticulum.

In search of the pivot point of mechanotransduction: mechanosensing of stem cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into diverse specialized cell types; hence, they have great potential in tissue engineering and cell therapies. In addition to biochemical regulation, the physical properties of the microenvironments, such as scaffold topography, substrate stiffness, and mechanical forces, including fluid shear stress, compression, and tensile strain, can also regulate the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Upon physical stimuli, cytoskeleton rearrangements are expected to counterbalance the extracellular mechanical forces, trigger signaling cascades, and eventually cause epigenetic modifications. This article mainly focuses on the mechanosensing, which is the upstream event of stem cell mechanotransduction and the downstream one of physical stimuli. Putative mechanosensors such as ion channels, integrins, and cell membrane as well as primary cilia are discussed. Because mechanical environment is an important stem cell niche, identification of mechanosensors not only can elucidate the mechanisms of mechanotransduction and fate commitments but also bring new prospects of the mechanical control as well as drug development for clinical application.

ENDOTHELIAL MECHANOTRANSDUCTION MECHANISMS FOR VASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Vascular physiology and disease progression, such as atherosclerosis, are mediated by hemodynamic force generated from blood flow. The hemodynamic force exerts on vascular endothelial cells (ECs), which could perceive the mechanical signals and transmit them into cell interior by multiple potential shear sensors, collectively known as mechanotransduction. However, we do not understand completely how these shear-sensitive components orchestrate physiological and atherosclerotic responses to shear stress. In this review, we provide an overview of biomechanical mechanisms underlying vascular physiology and atherosclerotic progression. Additionally, we summarize current evidences to illustrate that atherosclerotic lesions preferentially develop in arterial regions experiencing disturbance in blood flow, during which endothelial dysfunction is the initial event of atherosclerosis, inflammation plays dominant roles in atherosclerotic progression, and angiogenesis emerges as compensatory explanation for atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Especially in the presence of systemic risk factors (e.g., hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia), the synergy between these systemic risk factors with hemodynamic factors aggravates atherosclerosis by co-stimulating some of these biomechanical events. Given the hemodynamic environment of vasculature, understanding how the rapid shear-mediated signaling, particularly in combination with systemic risk factors, contribute to atherosclerotic progression through endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and angiogenesis helps to elucidate the role for atherogenic shear stress in specifically localizing atherosclerotic lesions in arterial regions with disturbed flow.

Endothelial caveolar subcellular domain regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Complex regulatory processes alter the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) leading to nitric oxide (NO) production by endothelial cells under various physiological states. These complex processes require specific subcellular eNOS partitioning between plasma membrane caveolar domains and non-caveolar compartments. Translocation of eNOS from the plasma membrane to intracellular compartments is important for eNOS activation and subsequent NO biosynthesis. We present data reviewing and interpreting information regarding: (i) the coupling of endothelial plasma membrane receptor systems in the caveolar structure relative to eNOS trafficking; (ii) how eNOS trafficking relates to specific protein-protein interactions for inactivation and activation of eNOS; and (iii) how these complex mechanisms confer specific subcellular location relative to eNOS multisite phosphorylation and signalling. Dysfunction in the regulation of eNOS activation may contribute to several disease states, in particular gestational endothelial abnormalities (pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes etc.), that have life-long deleterious health consequences that predispose the offspring to develop hypertensive disease, Type 2 diabetes and adiposity.

Mechanosensitive properties in the endothelium and their roles in the regulation of endothelial function

: Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) line the luminal surface of blood vessels, which are exposed constantly to mechanical stimuli, such as fluid shear stress, cyclic strain, and blood pressure. In recent years, more and more evidence indicates that ECs sense these mechanical stimuli and subsequently convert mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals. The properties of ECs that sense the mechanical stimuli are defined as mechanosensors. There are a variety of mechanosensors that have been identified in ECs. These mechanosensors play an important role in regulating the function of the endothelium and vascular function, including blood pressure. This review focuses on the mechanosensors that have been identified in ECs and on the roles that mechanosensors play in the regulation of endothelium function, and in the regulation of vascular function.

The less-often-traveled surface of stem cells: caveolin-1 and caveolae in stem cells, tissue repair and regeneration

Stem cells are an important resource for tissue repair and regeneration. While a great deal of attention has focused on derivation and molecular regulation of stem cells, relatively little research has focused on how the subcellular structure and composition of the cell membrane influences stem cell activities such as proliferation, differentiation and homing. Caveolae are specialized membrane lipid rafts coated with caveolin scaffolding proteins, which can regulate cholesterol transport and the activity of cell signaling receptors and their downstream effectors. Caveolin-1 is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including growth, control of mitochondrial antioxidant levels, migration and senescence. These activities are of relevance to stem cell biology, and in this review evidence for caveolin-1 involvement in stem cell biology is summarized. Altered stem and progenitor cell populations in caveolin-1 null mice suggest that caveolin-1 can regulate stem cell proliferation, and in vitro studies with isolated stem cells suggest that caveolin-1 regulates stem cell differentiation. The available evidence leads us to hypothesize that caveolin-1 expression may stabilize the differentiated and undifferentiated stem cell phenotype, and transient downregulation of caveolin-1 expression may be required for transition between the two. Such regulation would probably be critical in regenerative applications of adult stem cells and during tissue regeneration. We also review here the temporal changes in caveolin-1 expression reported during tissue repair. Delayed muscle regeneration in transgenic mice overexpressing caveolin-1 as well as compromised cardiac, brain and liver tissue repair and delayed wound healing in caveolin-1 null mice suggest that caveolin-1 plays an important role in tissue repair, but that this role may be negative or positive depending on the tissue type and the nature of the repair process. Finally, we also discuss how caveolin-1 quiescence-inducing activities and effects on mitochondrial antioxidant levels may influence stem cell aging.

Biomechanical force in blood development: extrinsic physical cues drive pro-hematopoietic signaling

The hematopoietic system is dynamic during development and in adulthood, undergoing countless spatial and temporal transitions during the course of one's life. Microenvironmental cues in the many unique hematopoietic niches differ, characterized by distinct soluble molecules, membrane-bound factors, and biophysical features that meet the changing needs of the blood system. Research from the last decade has revealed the importance of substrate elasticity and biomechanical force in determination of stem cell fate. Our understanding of the role of these factors in hematopoiesis is still relatively poor; however, the developmental origin of blood cells from the endothelium provides a model for comparison. Many endothelial mechanical sensors and second messenger systems may also determine hematopoietic stem cell fate, self renewal, and homing behaviors. Further, the intimate contact of hematopoietic cells with mechanosensitive cell types, including osteoblasts, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and pericytes, places them in close proximity to paracrine signaling downstream of mechanical signals. The objective of this review is to present an overview of the sensors and intracellular signaling pathways activated by mechanical cues and highlight the role of mechanotransductive pathways in hematopoiesis.

Flow detection and calcium signalling in vascular endothelial cells

Blood vessels alter their morphology and function in response to changes in blood flow, and their responses are based on blood flow detection by the vascular endothelium. Endothelial cells (ECs) covering the inner surface of blood vessels sense shear stress generated by flowing blood and transmit the signal into the interior of the cell, which evokes a cellular response. The EC response to shear stress is closely linked to the regulation of vascular tone, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, angiogenesis, and vascular remodelling, and it plays an important role in maintaining the homoeostasis of the circulatory system. Impairment of the EC response to shear stress leads to the development of vascular diseases such as hypertension, thrombosis, aneurysms, and atherosclerosis. Rapid progress has been made in elucidating shear stress mechanotransduction by using in vitro methods that apply controlled levels of shear stress to cultured ECs in fluid-dynamically designed flow-loading devices. The results have revealed that shear stress is converted into intracellular biochemical signals that are mediated by a variety of membrane molecules and microdomains, including ion channels, receptors, G-proteins, adhesion molecules, the cytoskeleton, caveolae, the glycocalyx, and primary cilia, and that multiple downstream signalling pathways become activated almost simultaneously. Nevertheless, neither the shear-stress-sensing mechanisms nor the sensor molecules that initially sense shear stress are yet known. Their identification would contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the vascular diseases that occur in a blood flow-dependent manner and to the development of new treatments for them.

Shear Stress Activates eNOS at the Endothelial Apical Surface Through β1 Containing Integrins and Caveolae

There is now a large body of evidence demonstrating that fluid mechanical forces generated by blood flowing through the vasculature play a direct role in regulating endothelial cell structure and function. Integrin receptors that localize to the basal surface of the endothelium participate in both outside-in and inside-out signaling events that influence endothelial gene expression and morphology in response to flow. Our analyses of apical plasma membranes derived from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells revealed that integrins are also expressed on this cell surface. Here, we tested whether these integrins participate in mechanotransduction events that are known to occur on the endothelial cell luminal/apical membrane. We found that apically expressed β1 integrins are rapidly activated in response to acute shear stress. Blockade of β1 integrin activation attenuated a shear-induced signaling cascade involving Src-family kinase, PI3-kinase, Akt and eNOS on this cell surface. In addition, β1 integrin activation and associated signaling events were dependent on the structural integrity of caveolae but not the actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, these data indicate that endothelial responses to shear stress are mediated by spatially distinct pools of integrins.

Caveolae as plasma membrane sensors, protectors and organizers

Caveolae are submicroscopic, plasma membrane pits that are abundant in many mammalian cell types. The past few years have seen a quantum leap in our understanding of the formation, dynamics and functions of these enigmatic structures. Caveolae have now emerged as vital plasma membrane sensors that can respond to plasma membrane stresses and remodel the extracellular environment. Caveolae at the plasma membrane can be removed by endocytosis to regulate their surface density or can be disassembled and their structural components degraded. Coat proteins, called cavins, work together with caveolins to regulate the formation of caveolae but also have the potential to dynamically transmit signals that originate in caveolae to various cellular destinations. The importance of caveolae as protective elements in the plasma membrane, and as membrane organizers and sensors, is highlighted by links between caveolae dysfunction and human diseases, including muscular dystrophies and cancer.

Caveolar domain organization and trafficking is regulated by Abl kinases and mDia1

The biology of caveolin-1 (Cav1)/caveolae is intimately linked to actin dynamics and adhesion receptors. Caveolar domains are organized in hierarchical levels of complexity from curved or flattened caveolae to large, higher-order caveolar rosettes. We report that stress fibers controlled by Abl kinases and mDia1 determine the level of caveolar domain organization, which conditions the subsequent inward trafficking of caveolar domains induced upon loss of cell adhesion from the extracellular matrix. Abl-deficient cells have fewer stress fibers, a smaller pool of stress-fiber co-aligned Cav1 and increased clustering of Cav1/caveolae at the cell surface. Defective caveolar linkage to stress fibers prevents the formation of big caveolar rosettes upon loss of cell adhesion, correlating with a lack of inward trafficking. Live imaging of stress fibers and Cav1 showed that the actin-linked Cav1 pool loses its spatial organization in the absence of actin polymerization and is dragged and clustered by depolymerizing filaments. We identified mDia1 as the actin polymerization regulator downstream of Abl kinases that controls the stress-fiber-linked Cav1 pool. mDia1 knockdown results in Cav1/caveolae clustering and defective inward trafficking upon loss of cell adhesion. By contrast, cell elongation imposed by the excess of stress fibers induced by active mDia1 flattens caveolae. Furthermore, active mDia1 rescues the actin co-aligned Cav1 pool and Cav1 inward trafficking upon loss of adhesion in Abl-deficient cells. Thus, caveolar domain organization and trafficking are tightly coupled to adhesive and stress fiber regulatory pathways.

Caveolae, caveolins, cavins, and endothelial cell function: new insights

Caveolae are cholesterol and glycosphingolipid-rich flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane which are particularly abundant in vascular endothelium and present in all other cell types of the cardiovascular system, including vascular smooth-muscle cells, macrophages, cardiac myocytes, and fibroblasts. Caveolins and the more recently discovered cavins are the major protein components of caveolae. When caveolae were discovered, their functional role was believed to be limited to transport across the endothelial cell barrier. Since then, however, a large body of evidence has accumulated, suggesting that these microdomains are very important in regulating many other important endothelial cell functions, mostly due to their ability to concentrate and compartmentalize various signaling molecules. Over the course of several years, multiple studies involving knockout mouse and small interfering RNA approaches have considerably enhanced our understanding of the role of caveolae and caveolin-1 in regulating many cardiovascular functions. New findings have been reported implicating other caveolar protein components in endothelial cell signaling and function, such as the understudied caveolin-2 and newly discovered cavin proteins. The aim of this review is to focus primarily on molecular and cellular aspects of the role of caveolae, caveolins, and cavins in endothelial cell signaling and function. In addition, where appropriate, the possible implications for the cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology and pathophysiology will be discussed.

Regulation of Cell Signaling and Function by Endothelial Caveolins: Implications in Disease

Caveolae are cholesterol- and glycosphingolipid-rich omega-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane that are very abundant in vascular endothelial cells and present in most cell types. Caveolins are the major coat protein components of caveolae. Multiple studies using knockout mouse, small interfering RNA, and cell-permeable peptide delivery approaches have significantly enhanced our understanding of the role of endothelial caveolae and caveolin-1 in physiology and disease. Several postnatal pulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies have been reported in caveolin-1 knockout mice, many of which have been recently rescued by selective re-expression of caveolin-1 in endothelium of these mice. A large body of experimental evidence mostly using caveolin-1 knockout mice suggests that, depending on the disease model, endothelial caveolin-1 may play either a protective or a detrimental role. For instance, physiological or higher expression levels of caveolin-1 in endothelium might be beneficial in such diseases as pulmonary hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, or ischemic injury. On the other hand, endothelial caveolin-1 might contribute to acute lung injury and inflammation, atherosclerosis or pathological angiogenesis associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Moreover, depending on the specific model, endothelial caveolin-1 may either promote or suppress tumor-induced angiogenesis. In addition to overwhelming evidence for the role of endothelial caveolin-1, more recent studies also suggest that endothelial caveolin-2 could possibly play a role in pulmonary disease. The purpose of this review is to focus on how caveolin-1 expressed in endothelial cells regulates endothelial cell signaling and function. The review places particular emphasis on relevance to disease, including but not limited to Pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders as well as cancer. In addition to caveolin-1, possible importance of the less-studied endothelial caveolin-2 in pulmonary diseases will be also discussed.

Lipid rafts, caveolae and GPI-linked proteins

Lipid rafts and caveolae are specialized membrane microdomains enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol. They function in a variety of cellular processes including but not limited to endocytosis, transcytosis, signal transduction and receptor recycling. Here, we outline the similarities and differences between lipid rafts and caveolae as well as discuss important components and functions of each.

Membrane cholesterol modulates the fluid shear stress response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes via its effects on membrane fluidity

Continuous exposure of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) to circulatory hemodynamics points to fluid flow as a biophysical regulator of their activity. Specifically, fluid flow-derived shear stresses deactivate leukocytes via actions on the conformational activities of proteins on the cell surface. Because membrane properties affect activities of membrane-bound proteins, we hypothesized that changes in the physical properties of cell membranes influence PMNL sensitivity to fluid shear stress. For this purpose, we modified PMNL membranes and showed that the cellular mechanosensitivity to shear was impaired whether we increased, reduced, or disrupted the organization of cholesterol within the lipid bilayer. Notably, PMNLs with enriched membrane cholesterol exhibited attenuated pseudopod retraction responses to shear that were recovered by select concentrations of benzyl alcohol (a membrane fluidizer). In fact, PMNL responses to shear positively correlated (R(2) = 0.96; P < 0.0001) with cholesterol-related membrane fluidity. Moreover, in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLr(-/-)) mice fed a high-fat diet (a hypercholesterolemia model), PMNL shear-responses correlated (R(2) = 0.5; P < 0.01) with blood concentrations of unesterified (i.e., free) cholesterol. In this regard, the shear-responses of PMNLs gradually diminished and eventually reversed as free cholesterol levels in blood increased during 8 wk of the high-fat diet. Collectively, our results provided evidence that cholesterol is an important component of the PMNL mechanotransducing capacity and elevated membrane cholesterol impairs PMNL shear-responses at least partially through its impact on membrane fluidity. This cholesterol-linked perturbation may contribute to dysregulated PMNL activity (e.g., chronic inflammation) related to hypercholesterolemia and causal for cardiovascular pathologies (e.g., atherosclerosis).

Morphology and properties of brain endothelial cells

The molecular advances in various aspects of brain endothelial cell function in steady states are considerable and difficult to summarize in one chapter. Therefore, this chapter focuses on endothelial permeability mechanisms in steady states and disease namely vasogenic edema. The morphology and properties of caveolae and tight junctions that are involved in endothelial permeability to macromolecules are reviewed. Endothelial transport functions are briefly reviewed. Diseases with alterations of endothelial permeability are mentioned and details are provided of the molecular alterations in caveolae and tight junctions in vasogenic edema. Other factors involved in increased endothelial permeability such as the matrix metalloproteinases are briefly discussed. Of the modulators of endothelial permeability, angioneurins such as the vascular endothelial growth factors and angiopoietins are discussed. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion on delivery of therapeutic substances across endothelium.

p190 RhoGTPase-activating protein links the β1 integrin/caveolin-1 mechanosignaling complex to RhoA and actin remodeling

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the β1 integrin/caveolin-1 signaling complex plays a role in shear stress regulation of RhoA activity .

METHODS AND RESULTS

Hemodynamic shear stress influences the phenotype of the endothelium. Integrins and RhoA are essential components in the process that allows endothelial cells to adapt to flow. However, the signaling mechanisms that relay from integrins to RhoA are not well defined. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were subjected to laminar shear stress (10 dyne/cm(2)) for up to 6 hours. β1 integrin blockade inhibited Src family kinases and p190RhoGAP tyrosine phosphorylation observed after the immediate onset of shear stress. Depletion of caveolin-1 blocked the decline in p190RhoGAP tyrosine phosphorylation observed at later points by sustaining Src family kinase activity. The manipulation of β1 integrin and caveolin-1 also altered shear regulation of RhoA activity. More importantly, cells depleted of p190RhoGAP showed faulty temporal regulation of RhoA activity. Each of these treatments attenuated actin reorganization induced by flow. Similarly, stress fibers failed to form in endothelial cells exposed to enhanced blood flow in caveolin-1 knockout mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our studies demonstrate that p190RhoGAP links integrins and caveolin-1/caveolae to RhoA in a mechanotransduction cascade that participates in endothelial adaptation to flow.

Mechanical strain-induced RhoA activation requires NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS generation in caveolae

Increased intraglomerular pressure leads to kidney fibrosis, and can be modeled by exposing glomerular mesangial cells (MC) to mechanical strain. We previously showed that RhoA mediates strain-induced matrix production. Here we investigate whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) are required for RhoA activation. Maximal RhoA activation (1 min) was inhibited by ROS scavenge or NADPH oxidase inhibition. Strain activated NADPH oxidase, with Rac1, p47(phox), and p67(phox) membrane translocation, and Rac1 activation, observed within 30 sec. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition blocked RhoA and Rac1 activation, p67(phox) membrane translocation, and ROS generation. However, EGFR activation was unaffected by ROS inhibitors, placing it upstream of ROS generation. We previously showed, using chemical disruption, that caveolae mediate strain-induced EGFR and RhoA activation. In MC from caveolin-1 knockout mice, which lack caveolae, RhoA and Rac1 activation, p67(phox) membrane translocation, and ROS generation were absent. These were rescued by caveolin-1 re-expression. ROS generation, Rac1 activation, and p67(phox) membrane translocation were also prevented by Src inhibition. They were absent in MC stably infected with caveolin-1 Y14A, a mutant resistant to Src phosphorylation. In MC, caveolae are thus important mediators of strain-induced ROS generation through NADPH oxidase, mediating a signaling cascade which results in RhoA activation.

Directed stem cell differentiation: the role of physical forces

A number of factors contribute to the control of stem cell fate. In particular, the evidence for how physical forces control the stem cell differentiation program is now accruing. In this review, the authors discuss the types of physical forces: mechanical forces, cell shape, extracellular matrix geometry/properties, and cell-cell contacts and morphogenic factors, which evidence suggests play a role in influencing stem cell fate.

Endothelial Cell Membrane Sensitivity to Shear Stress is Lipid Domain Dependent

Blood flow-associated shear stress causes physiological and pathophysiological biochemical processes in endothelial cells that may be initiated by alterations in plasma membrane lipid domains characterized as liquid-ordered (l(o)), such as rafts or caveolae, or liquid-disordered (l(d)). To test for domain-dependent shear sensitivity, we used time-correlated single photon counting instrumentation to assess the photophysics and dynamics of the domain-selective lipid analogues DiI-C(12) and DiI-C(18) in endothelial cells subjected to physiological fluid shear stress. Under static conditions, DiI-C(12) fluorescence lifetime was less than DiI-C(18) lifetime and the diffusion coefficient of DiI-C(12) was greater than the DiI-C(18) diffusion coefficient, confirming that DiI-C(12) probes l(d), a more fluid membrane environment, and DiI-C(18) probes the l(o) phase. Domains probed by DiI-C(12) exhibited an early (10 s) and transient decrease of fluorescence lifetime after the onset of shear while domains probed by DiI-C(18) exhibited a delayed decrease of fluorescence lifetime that was sustained for the 2 min the cells were subjected to flow. The diffusion coefficient of DiI-C(18) increased after shear imposition, while that of DiI-C(12) remained constant. Determination of the number of molecules (N) in the control volume suggested that DiI-C(12)-labeled domains increased in N immediately after step-shear, while N for DiI-C(18)-stained membrane transiently decreased. These results demonstrate that membrane microdomains are differentially sensitive to fluid shear stress.