Figure 6.

Shear stress-mediated activation (phosphorylation) of p38 does not occur in endothelial cells lacking the VE-cadherin gene. (A) Endothelial cells null for VE-cadherin (VE-cad −/−) and the same cells stably retransfected with VE-cadherin (VE-cad +/+) were grown under static conditions or exposed to LSS (10 dynes/cm²) for various time intervals. Whole-cell extracts were tested for P38 expression or phosphorylation (pP38). (B) Endothelial cells null for VE-cadherin (VE-cad −/−) and the same cells stably retransfected with VE-cadherin (VE-cad +/+) were grown under static conditions or exposed to LSS (10 dynes/cm²) for various time intervals. The expression and activation of Akt were tested and are presented as the ratio of Akt to phosphorylated Akt (mean ± SD, n = 4).