Gene expression profile at single cell level of primary human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) under stimulation of pathophysiologic flows and antiproliferative therapies (rapamycin, paclitaxel)

Endothelial cells (ECs) are by definition plastic and multipotent. EC plasticity was evaluated by stimulating EC to physiological and pathological stress coupled with antiproliferative therapies. Overall design: HAECs were stimulated with unimodal stress (physiologic flow, 30 dynes/cm2; and pathologic/altered flow, 2.5dynes/cm2) for 72 hours. Also, HAECs were stimulated with bimodal stress: after 24 hours with either physiologic or pathologic flows, paclitaxel or rapamycin were added to flow systems. Cells were harvested and analyzed 48 hours after chemical stimulation.