Shear stress promotes metabolic changes in endothelial cells

Here we investigated how shear stress influences the metabolic behavior of endothelial cells (ECs) using a combination of transcriptomics, tracer metabolomics. Transcriptomics analysis of ECs under wall shear stress (WSS) showed an increase in the glutamine, asparagine, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate biochemical activity while the downregulated gene signature suggested a reduction of the glycolysis activity. Metabolomics analysis of the medium from static and WSS cultured ECs revealed that -upon WSS- changes in the nutritional preferences of ECs occurred. Using tracer metabolomics, we further evidenced that WSS promotes glutamine anaplerosis into the Krebs cycle and a decrease in the glycolytic metabolism of ECs in vitro. In conclusion, our findings elucidate the nutritional preferences of ECs and reveal the importance of a physical stimulus (WSS) in the regulation of EC metabolism in vitro. Overall design: 4x4 design - 4 samples of HUVECs cultured under wall shear stress vs 4 samples of HUVECs cultured under static conditions