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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Human Saphenous Vein Endothelial Cell Isolation and Exposure to Controlled Levels of Shear Stress and Stretch
Published on: April 21, 2023
Shear stress-induced shedding of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 from saphenous vein endothelium
Sabena Sultan1, Martin Gosling, Hideaki Nagase
1Department of Vascular Surgery (Charing Cross site), Imperial College London, St Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, UK.
Abstract:
Within 6 h, shear stress upregulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (two- to four-fold, P<0.001) and induced matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in cultured human saphenous vein endothelial cells. By 8 h endothelial ICAM-1 levels returned to baseline, with concomitant increase in soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) (P<0.001) and MMP-9 had been induced. Inclusion of a hydroxamate metalloproteinase inhibitor partially reversed the effects on ICAM-1 and sICAM-1 at 8 h, whereas TIMP-1, -2 or -3 had no effect. MMP-9, but not MMP-2, co-immunoprecipitated with ICAM-1. sICAM-1 was processed distal to Arg441, indicating that MMP-9, docking to ICAM-1, contributes to sICAM-1 shedding and attenuation of the shear stress-induced upregulation of ICAM-1.
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