Biomechanics of vascular mechanosensation and remodeling

Flowing blood exerts a frictional force, fluid shear stress (FSS), on the endothelial cells that line the blood and lymphatic vessels. The magnitude, pulsatility, and directional characteristics of FSS are constantly sensed by the endothelium. Sustained increases or decreases in FSS induce vessel remodeling to maintain proper perfusion of tissue. In this review, we discuss these mechanisms and their relevance to physiology and disease, and propose a model for how information from different mechanosensors might be integrated to govern remodeling.