Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor mediates the responses of endothelial cells to fluid shear stress

Abstract

Vascular disease: Blood flow disturbances and atherosclerosis Research into the mechanisms by which blood flow disturbances affect the function of endothelial cells (ECs), the cells lining the interior of blood vessels, reveals potential new targets for treating atherosclerosis. Kihwan Kwon at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues found that a membrane protein, the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor, CAR, mediates the response of ECs to the shear stress exerted by blood flow. They showed, in human tissue and in mice, that CAR protein levels in ECs increase when they are exposed to low or oscillatory blood flow, which is linked to the build-up of plaque inside arteries. Lowering CAR levels in ECs reduced the expression of proinflammatory genes and the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in mice. These findings suggest that reducing CAR activity could be a promising approach for treating atherosclerosis.