Mechanotransduction and the Myogenic Response in Diabetes - The Mechanobiology of Obesity and Related Diseases - page 248

Fig. 3 Mechanisms linking obesity/insulin resistance and overt diabetes to impaired mechano-
transduction and blood flow autoregulation. Common in these disorders is exposure of the
vasculature and surrounding tissues to hyperglycemia. The increased glucose levels are believed
to create a biochemical environment that favors alterations to the ECM—through both alterations
in synthesis and in its character (for example protein glycation, modification to normal cross-
linking, and alterations to its stiffness). Alteration to the ECM affects the ability of the vessel wall
to detect physical forces and, further, negatively impacts the ability of tissues to autoregulate
blood flow and pressure