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Matrix stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis

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Abstract

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the leading cause of the human cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Endothelial dysfunction promotes the monocytes infiltration and inflammation that participate fundamentally in atherogenesis. Endothelial cells (EC) have been recognized as mechanosensitive cells and have different responses to distinct mechanical stimuli. Emerging evidence shows matrix stiffness-mediated EC dysfunction plays a vital role in vascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms are not yet completely understood. This article aims to summarize the effect of matrix stiffness on the pro-atherosclerotic characteristics of EC including morphology, rigidity, biological behavior and function as well as the related mechanical signal. The review also discusses and compares the contribution of matrix stiffness-mediated phagocytosis of macrophages and EC to AS progression. These advances in our understanding of the relationship between matrix stiffness and EC dysfunction open the avenues to improve the prevention and treatment of now-ubiquitous atherosclerotic diseases.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Key Foundation of China (Project no. 12032007), Chongqing Talents (cstc2022ycjh-bgzxm0166), the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing in China (cstc2020jcyj-bsh0024, cstc2019jcyj-zdxmX0028).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China

    Zichen Xu, Wenbo Han & Guixue Wang

  2. Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China

    Yi Chen, Wenfeng Xu, Xiaoling Liao & Tao Zhang

  3. College of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China

    Yi Wang

  4. Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, NO.174, Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400030, PR China

    Guixue Wang

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  1. Zichen Xu
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ZX, YC, YW, WH and WX collect the related literature materials. ZX wrote the manuscript. GW, XL and TZ provided ideas and designed the overall framework of the article.

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Correspondence to Tao Zhang or Guixue Wang.

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Author ZX, Author YC, Author YW, Author WX, Author WH, Author TZ, Author XL and Author GW declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Xu, Z., Chen, Y., Wang, Y. et al. Matrix stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Mol Biol Rep 50, 7027–7041 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-023-08502-5

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