Shear stress and the endothelium Barbara J. Ballermann, Alan Dardik, Eudora Eng, Ailian Liu  Kidney International  Volume 54, Pages S100-S108 (September 1998) DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1755.1998.06720.x Copyright © 1998 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Schematic representation of the effects of vessel wall tension and shear stress on endothelial cells. Wall tension develops in response to transmural pressure gradients and causes cell stretch, with cell deformation in all directions. Shear stress is the fluid frictional force acting at the apical surface of endothelial cells. Shear stress results in unidirectional cell deformation. Kidney International 1998 54, S100-S108DOI: (10.1046/j.1523-1755.1998.06720.x) Copyright © 1998 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 2 Inhibition of neointimal formation on prosthetic vascular grafts by endothelial cells. Polyurethane vascular grafts (kindly provided by Corvita Co.) without endothelial cells (A) or with shear stress-pretreated, tightly adherent endothelial cells (B) were implanted in rats. The degree of neointimal hyperplasia was examined three months later in graft cross-sections. Polyurethane graft material is indicated by (G). Intima is indicated by (I). Grafts bearing shear stress-pretreated endothelial cell monolayers displayed much less graft neointimal hyperplasia at three months than grafts without endothelial cells. Kidney International 1998 54, S100-S108DOI: (10.1046/j.1523-1755.1998.06720.x) Copyright © 1998 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions