Elongation of confluent endothelial cells in culture: the importance of fields of force in the associated alterations of their cytoskeletal structure.
Experimental Cell Research. 1995-08-01; 219(2): 427-441
DOI: 10.1006/excr.1995.1249
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1. Exp Cell Res. 1995 Aug;219(2):427-41.
Elongation of confluent endothelial cells in culture: the importance of fields of
force in the associated alterations of their cytoskeletal structure.
Thoumine O(1), Ziegler T, Girard PR, Nerem RM.
Author information:
(1)Bioengineering Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332-0230,
USA.
Studies using either animal models or in vitro flow systems have shown that the
shape of large-vessel endothelial cells (ECs) was sensitive to the amplitude of
the flow imposed on them. In order to better understand the morphological changes
experienced by ECs when exposed to physical forces such as shear stress, the
mechanical integrity of confluent bovine aortic ECs (BAECs) was anisotropically
perturbed using the five following types of experiments: (i) slicing and partial
scraping of BAEC monolayers; (ii) culture of BAECs on narrow strips of adhesive
plastic; (iii) incubation of confluent BAECs with media containing low Ca2+
concentrations; (iv) culture of ECs on top of rectangular collagen gels; and (v)
exposure of BAECs to laminar steady shear stress. In all five experimental
systems, BAECs exhibited an elongated morphology and aligned their major axes in
specific directions. In addition, a preferential alignment of actin
microfilaments, vimentin intermediate filaments, and streaks of vinculin with the
major axes of the cells often occurred concomitantly with BAEC elongation. In all
five systems, the elongation of ECs was analyzed in terms of a mechanical
deformation borne by the cytoskeleton, and possibly caused by anisotropic
distribution of the forces experienced by the cell structure. In addition, the
strain-stress and stiffness-stress relationships characterizing the elongation of
BAECs exposed to steady flow were qualitatively similar to those computed for the
uniaxial deformation of a spherical geodesic. Our findings suggest that the
cytoskeleton of ECs plays an important role in the transduction of those forces
which cause an elongation of ECs.
DOI: 10.1006/excr.1995.1249
PMID: 7641794 [Indexed for MEDLINE]