Bicuspid aortic valves calcify at a significantly higher rate than normal aortic valves, a process that involves increased inflammation. Because we have previously found that bicuspid aortic valve experience greater stretch, we investigated the potential connection between stretch and inflammation in human aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs). Microarray, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and protein...

Cyclic circumferential stretch and shear stress caused by pulsatile blood flow work in concert, yet are very different stimuli capable of independently mediating endothelial function by modulating eNOS expression, oxidative stress (via production of superoxide anion) and NO bioavailability. Porcine carotid arteries were perfused using an ex vivo arterial support system for 72 h. Groups we creat...

This study demonstrates that pathological cyclic stretch (CS) alter microtubule (MT) stability and induces MT reorientation. MT stabilization inhibits stress fiber formation and delays cell alignment in response to pathological CS. MT-associated GEF-H1 knockdown attenuates stretch-induced rearrangement of actin skeleton and controls stretch-dependent MT dynamics in pulmonary endothelium (EC). G...

AIMS The expression of GADD153 (growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 153), an apoptosis-regulated gene, increases during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. How mechanical stretch affects the regulation of GADD153 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during apoptosis is not fully understood. We aimed to test the hypothesis that mechanical stretch induces GADD153 expression in VSMCs und...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation are involved in mechanical stretch-induced skeletal muscle regeneration. However, there are a small number of miRNAs that have been reported to be associated with NF‑κB activation during mechanical stretch-induced myogenesis. In the present study, C2C12 myoblasts underwent cyclic mechanical stretch in vitro, to explore the relationsh...

Acute aortic dissection is the most common life-threatening vascular disease, with sudden onset of severe pain and a high fatality rate. Clarifying the detailed mechanism for aortic dissection is of great significance for establishing effective pharmacotherapy for this high mortality disease. In the present study, we evaluated the influence of biomechanical stretch, which mimics an acute rise i...

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL) is characterized by ectopic bone formation in the spinal ligaments, and mechanical stress has been suggested to play an important role in the progression of OPLL. To identify the genes that participate in OPLL, the differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used. A 283-base pair...

We investigated the effects of cyclic stretch on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) alignment and potential overlap of signaling modalities with stretch-induced proliferation. VSMC were subjected to graded stretch (1 Hz at 100-124% of resting length) for 48 h. Graded stretch resulted in graded VSMC alignment from a minimum of completely random orientation to a maximum of ~80-85 degrees to the s...