performed the leukocyte adhesion and transmigration assays
performed the leukocyte adhesion and transmigration assays. results suggest that extracellular matrix stiffening alone, which occurs during aging, can lead to endothelial monolayer disruption and atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Because previous therapeutics designed to decrease vascular stiffness have been met with limited success, our findings could be the basis for the design of therapeutics that target the Rho-dependent cellular contractile response to matrix stiffening, rather than stiffness itself, to more effectively prevent atherosclerosis progression. == INTRODUCTION == Vascular stiffening accompanies a variety of cardiovascular pathologies including hypertension (1) and atherosclerosis (2). The blood vessel wall also Cbz-B3A stiffens with age (3). During aging, vessel stiffness increases owing to changes in the micro-scale architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) within the vessel wall, namely the increases in elastin fragmentation, collagen deposition, and matrix…