Proteomic analysis of vascular endothelial cells-effects of laminar shear stress and high glucose

This study directly measured the relative protein levels in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) that were cultured for two weeks in normal (5 mM, NG) or high (22 mM, HG) glucose and then were subjected to laminar shear stress at 0 or 15 dynes/cm². Membrane preparations were labeled with one of the four isobaric tagging reagents (iTRAQ), followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The results showed that HG and/or shear stress induced alterations in various membrane associated proteins involving many signaling pathways. While shear stress induced an increase in heat shock proteins and protein ubiquitination, which remained enhanced in HG, the effects of shear stress on the mechanosensing and protein phosphorylation pathways were altered by HG. These results were validated by Western blot analysis, suggesting that HG importantly modulates shear stress-mediated endothelial function.