Studies of shear stress alterations in gene expression in endothelial cells shown by DNA microarray

Using DNA microarrays (Research Genetics GF 211), 25 dynes/cm² for 24 h shear stress increased expression of CYP 1A1 11 fold, and CYP 1B1 almost 10 fold in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), while it decreased CTGF almost 10 fold and endothelin-1 5 fold. We determined whether these changes occurred in subcultured HUVEC, if the CYP genes were induced by β-naphthoflavone, a polyaromatic hydrocarbon inducer, and whether conditioned medium could alter the levels of gene expression in static cultured of HUVEC. Shear stress upregulated CYP 1A1 10.8 ± 2.1 fold, and CYP 1B1 23.1 ± 3.7 fold., while CTGF and ET-1 were minimally changed.