Figure 6.

Impaired shear stress-induced Ca²⁺ response in vascular endothelial cells from Cav-1 ^−/− mice. (A) Characterization of endothelial cells explanted from WT and Cav-1^−/− aortas. Endothelial cells were stained with antibodies against the endothelial cell marker, von Willebrand factor (vWF, red), and the smooth muscle cell marker, α-actin (green). (B) Increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ in response to shear stress (11 dynes/cm²) in fura-2 loaded endothelial cells from WT (n = 7) and Cav-1^−/− (n = 8) vessels. Statistical difference between WT and Cav-1^−/− cells was indicated by the bar above the tracings with P < 0.05.