Aorta Remodeling Due to Stretch or Turbulent Flow/Low Wall Shear Stress: Distinctly Different Biological Phenomena?

This review is based on recently published data from our laboratory. We investigated the relationship between local hemodynamic forces and intimal and medial remodeling in the proximal and distal segments of the arterial walls of rats in relation to severe infradiaphragmatic stenosis of the aorta. Our findings support the plausible hypothesis that aorta remodeling induced by stretch as a consequence of hypertension in contrast to aorta remodeling induced by turbulent flow/low wall shear stress are distinctly different biological phenomena mediated through different mechanisms.