Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

The shear stress of keeping arteries clear

Nature Medicine volume 11, pages 375–376 (2005)Cite this article

The force exerted by blood as it flows through the vessels influences the development of atherosclerosis. An understanding of how disturbed flow leads to disease is now emerging.

Atherosclerosis tends to develop in regions of the circulation where flow is either low or turbulent, such as regions where arteries bifurcate1. To understand this phenomenon and the process of atherosclerosis in general, investigators have focused on the endothelium, the inner layer of vascular cells that are in direct contact with flowing blood.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Stress and of the endothelial cell.

Katherine Ris

References

  1. Glagov, S., Zarins, C., Giddens, D.P. & Ku, D.N. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 112, 1018–1031 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Davies, P.F. Physiol. Rev. 75, 519–560 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yamawaki, H., Pan, S., Lee, R.T. & Berk, B.C. J. Clin. Invest. 115, 733–738 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Blankenberg, S., Barbaux, S. & Tiret, L. Atherosclerosis 170, 191–203 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tricot, O. et al. Circulation 101, 2450–2543 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Stoneman, V.E. & Bennett, M.R. Clin. Sci. (Lond.) 107, 343–354 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Izumi, Y. et al. Circulation 108, 2812–2818 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Levonen, A.L. et al. Antioxid. Redox. Signal 3, 215–229 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Takeshita, S., Inoue, N., Ueyama, T., Kawashima, S. & Yokoyama, M. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 273, 66–71 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dimmeler, S., Hermann, C., Galle, J. & Zeiher, A.M. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 19, 656–664 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Park, H.S. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 7584–7590 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Division, Emory University School of Medicine and Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia, USA

    David G Harrison

Authors
  1. David G Harrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harrison, D. The shear stress of keeping arteries clear. Nat Med 11, 375–376 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0405-375

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0405-375

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing