Influence of laminar shear stress on cytoskeleton and ICAM-1 expression of endothelial cells

The aim of this work was to study the morphological behavior and the surface adhesion molecules expression and localization of a human endothelial cell line subjected in vitro to a laminar flow in a parallel plate flow chamber, by a 3-D fluorescence microscopy and cytofluorimetry. At rest, endothelial cells showed an array of microfilament bundles of the actin fibers, and a peripheral distribution of ICAM-1 molecules. After shear stress (1 to 30 dyne/cm2, 1 to 24 hours), the stress fibers appeared and were oriented related to the flow direction but also to the shear. The ICAM-1 expression varied according to the shear stress characteristics and their distribution at the cell surface appeared also modified and related to the stress fibers formation.