ABSTRACT
One of the most exciting features of vascular endothelial cells (EC) is their ability to respond to mechanical stimuli. ECs are constantly exposed to mechanical forces such as shear forces resulting from blood flow and mechanical strain (biaxial tensile stress) which also induce changes in cell shape and possible folding and unfolding of the plasma membrane (Davies, 1995; Malek and Izumo, 1994). These forces activate a variety of biological responses, such as gating of mechano-and volume sensitive ion channels, and help to adjust the vessel diameter to the hemodynamic needs (Davies, 1995; Davies and Barbee, 1994; Davies and Tripathi, 1993; Nilius, 1991; Resnick and Gimbrone, 1995). Our current knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate such ion channels in endothelium is very limited. This article focuses on mechano-and volume sensitive ion channels in endothelium and in particular on Cl-channels.
