The Importance of Velocity Acceleration to Flow-Mediated Dilation

Figure 3

Putative Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction. The localized model for shear stress mechanotransduction assumes that shear stress sensors are located in the cell membrane. Ion channels are the proposed flow sensors. The decentralized model suggests that the mechanical forces acting on the luminal side of the endothelial cells are transmitted through the cytoskeleton to other sites in the cell. Integrins connected to the cytoskeleton have been related to this mechanism of mechanoreception.