Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
09:20
The Assembly and Application of 'Shear Rings': A Novel Endothelial Model for Orbital, Unidirectional and Periodic Fluid Flow and Shear Stress
Published on: October 31, 2016
Shear Difference: Flow Type Dictates Endothelial Flow-Responsive Gene Programs in a 3-Dimensional-Printed In Vitro
Nasir A Shah1,2, Kerry-Anne Rye3, Zoltan H Endre1,2
1School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia.
Journal of the American Heart Association
|July 17, 2026
Summary
This study developed a 3D macrofluidic model to show how different blood flow patterns affect endothelial cells. Pulsatile and continuous flow induce distinct cellular responses, offering new insights into vascular biology.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Vascular Biology
- Cellular Mechanotransduction
Background:
- Endothelial cells (ECs) are mechanosensitive, altering phenotype based on hemodynamic forces.
- Conventional in vitro models lack vessel-scale geometry and clinically relevant flow for studying EC responses.
- Understanding flow-induced EC changes is crucial for vascular health and disease research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of distinct hemodynamic forces on endothelial cell morphology and gene expression.
- To establish and validate a 3D macrofluidic platform for simulating physiologically relevant blood flow conditions.
- To compare the effects of continuous and pulsatile flow on ECs under matched mean shear stress.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 3D printed, idealized vessels using water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol and polydimethylsiloxane.
- Culture of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) within the macrofluidic channels.
- Perfusion of cells under static, continuous, or pulsatile flow (derived from arteriovenous fistula Doppler profiles) for 24 hours.
- Assessment of endothelial cell morphology via immunofluorescence and transcriptional activity via bulk RNA-sequencing.
Main Results:
- Continuous flow significantly increased cell eccentricity and reduced orientation variability compared to static conditions.
- Both continuous and pulsatile flow induced extensive differential gene expression compared to static culture.
- Pulsatile flow enriched cell cycle and TGF-β signaling pathways, while continuous flow upregulated oxidative phosphorylation and p53 pathways.
- Continuous flow modulated inflammatory and interferon signaling pathways.
Conclusions:
- Distinct endothelial morphologic and transcriptional signatures arise from pulsatile versus continuous flow, even under matched mean shear stress.
- The developed 3D macrofluidic platform serves as a validated tool for waveform-controlled mechanistic and translational studies of endothelial cells.
- This model advances the study of hemodynamics in vascular biology and disease.
