Morphological differences between aortic and aortic valve endothelial cells in static and fluid flow conditions

Tissue engineering technology requires the use of cultured cells to mimic the function of the tissue that a device is intended to replace. This is particularly important for tissues in contact with blood, such as a heart valve, where endothelial cells are complex mediators of this interaction. It is not known whether endothelial cells from heart valves exhibit the same behavior as the more characterized aortic endothelial cells in the presence of fluid flow. Endothelial cells of aortic and aortic valvular origin were subjected to laminar shear stress (20 dynes/cm²) for up to 48 hours, with static cultures serving as controls. We report that aortic valve endothelial cells align perpendicular to flow, in direct contrast to the aortic endothelial cells, which align parallel to flow. This behavioral difference could have implications in cell source decisions for heart valve tissue engineering, as specialized cell types are needed to function effectively in complex environments.