An in vitro model for the hemodynamic predisposition to atherosclerotic injury: Activation of cultured human endothelial cells by disturbed flow

Atherosclerotic lesions of the vascular wall were predominantly localized to specific atherosclerotic predilection sites in the arterial circulation such as bifurcations and branching points. The local patterns of blood flow were characterized by non-undirectional, pulsatile flow of low-magnitude shear stress. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were cultured in a unique circular flow chamber designed to mimic the flow patterns at the sites of atherosclerotic predilection in vivo. The pattern of gene expression changes induced by distributed flow (DF) in the in vivo model correlates with the phenotype of activated EC at predelicted sites.