"Biomechanical input"

     From the moment the heart starts beating and blood flow is first established during vertebrate development, the endothelial lining of the vasculature is constantly exposed to biomechanical stimulation. These hemodynamic factors influence the structure and function of the endothelial cell reflecting the fact that endothelial cells can acts as integrators and transducers of biomechanical stimuli. Recent data have demonstrated that endothelial cells have the capacity to discriminate among specific biomechanical forces and to translate these input into distinctive functional phenotypes. These flow-mediated phenotypes may be determinants of developmental differentiation and vascular disease.