Increased ambient pressure stimulates proliferation and morphologic changes in cultured endothelial cells

Very little is known about the effects of pressure within the vascular system on EC phenotype. To study this, bovine aortic EC were seeded on rat type I collagen plates (2,000/cm2) and allowed to attach for 24 hours. The cells were exposed to either atmospheric, 40, 80, or 120 mm Hg pressure by placing them in a plexiglass pressure chamber loaded with 5% CO2/air and maintained at 37 degrees C inside an incubator. Chamber pressure was continuously monitored with an amplified voltage transducer connected to a digital monitor. EC were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% calf serum and substrates for up to 9 days. The results indicate that EC proliferation is influenced by their ambient pressure. EC subjected in vitro to pressures comparable to mean systemic blood pressures had a significant increase in cell number compared to EC exposed to atmospheric pressures. EC were elongated and appeared to align randomly. We hypothesize that the systemic pressure which the endothelium is exposed to in vivo may have a significant regulatory influence on the ability of the endothelium to proliferate which may affect the endothelial cell response to injury.