Key result
Increased flow triggers endothelial calcium influx only in the presence of extracellular ATP.
Why the study?
Endothelial cells metabolize ATP, affecting local ATP concentration and calcium response, but the impact of convective mass transfer on this process is not fully understood.
Population
Individual bovine aortic endothelial cells
Comparison
Increases in flow rate with ATP vs without ATP in perfusing buffer
Design
Parallel plate flow system measuring cytosolic calcium with fluorescent dye
Authors
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Should not alter clinical practice; leaves open ATP-dependent calcium signaling as a flow-sensing mechanism for mechanistic studies.
Endothelial cells may detect changes in flow rate by responding to changes in the local concentration of agonists like ATP, mediated by convective mass transfer.
Nollert et al. (1992) studied this question. Increased flow rate in the presence of ATP vs. Absence of ATP was evaluated on Cytosolic calcium levels ([Ca2+]i). Bovine aortic endothelial cells responded to increases in flow rate by increasing cytosolic calcium levels only when ATP was present in the perfusing buffer.
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