LAUSR

Background: Arteries chronically constricted in culture remodel to smaller diameters. Conversely, elevated luminal shear stress (SS) promotes outward remodeling of arteries in vivo and prevents inward remodeling in culture in a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent manner. Objectives: To determine whether SS-induced prevention of inward remodeling in cultured arteries is specifically eNOS-dependent and requires dilation, and whether SS alters the expression of eNOS and other genes potentially involved in remodeling. Methods: Female mouse thoracodorsal arteries were cannulated, pressurized to 80 mm Hg, and cultured for 2 days with low SS (<7 dyn/cm2), high SS (≥15 dyn/cm2), high SS + L-NAME (NOS inhibitor, 10–4 M), or high SS in arteries from eNOS–/– mice. In separate arteries cultured 1 day with low or high SS, eNOS and connexin (Cx) 37, Cx40, and Cx43 mRNA were assessed with real-time PCR. Results: High SS caused little change in passive diameters after culture (–4.7 ± 2.0%), which was less than low SS (–18.9 ± 1.4%; p < 0.0001), high SS eNOS–/– (–18.0 ± 1.5; p < 0.001), or high SS + L-NAME (–12.0 ± 0.6%; nonsignificant) despite similar constriction during culture. Cx37 mRNA expression was increased (p < 0.05) with high SS, but other gene levels were not different. Conclusions: eNOS is involved in SS-induced prevention of inward remodeling in cultured small arteries. This effect does not require NO-mediated dilation. SS increased Cx37.