Organization of actin cytoskeleton in normal and regenerating arterial endothelial cells.

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Abstract
The distribution of actin stress fibers in normal and regenerating (after endothelial denudation by means of a balloon catheter) rabbit aortic endothelial cells was studied by means of immunofluorescence with human actin autoantibodies on en face endothelial cell preparations. Under normal conditions actin is accumulated as a network at the periphery of endothelial cells. Stress fibers are present only in endothelial cells located immediately below intercostal artery branches; stress fibers develop in endothelial cells early during regeneration and persist after the end of endothelial mitotic and motile activities; and the orientation of stress fibers within the cytoplasm follows the direction of blood flow, with the exception of stress fibers situated in cells at the edge of the wound, when endothelial cell progression toward the denuded area as well as mitotic activity have ceased. Stress fibers are an organelle present in endothelial cells in vitro; they reorganize during endothelial cell adaptation to unfavorable or pathological situations.