Abstract: The effects of oxygen gas tensions and hydrostatic pressure on intracellular calcium, [Ca2+]i, response to a flow stimulus in endothelial cells were investigated. Cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were exposed to a hydrostatic pressure of 100 mmHg under low oxygen gas tensions and were subsequently subjected to a 1 minute mechanical stimulation of fluid shear stress of 20 dynes/cm2. The [Ca2+]i response in BAECs was measured using a fluorescent indicator, Calcium Green-1. The maximum intensity for low oxygen tension was significantly lower than that for normal oxygen tension, which provides evidence that low oxygen tension regulates cellular functions downward. Moreover, preloading of hydrostatic pressure also reduced the increases in [Ca2+]i. These results suggest that BAECs in venous system, where oxygen tension and hydrostatic pressure are lower than those in arterial system, may be less sensitive to fluid flow. A separate observation showed that low oxygen tension did not significantly affect the cell morphology. In constrast, BAECs exposed to hydrostatic pressure showed marked elongation with no predominant orientation and the F-actin filament distributions were rearranged, indicating centrally located thick stress fibers. For better understanding of endothelial cell physiology, it is very important to elucidate the effect of oxygen gas tensions together with mechanical environment on endothelial cell responses.
