Abstract
ObjectiveTo measure the elongation and compliance of endothelial cells subjected to different patterns of shear stress in vitro, and to compare these parameters with the elongation and compliance of endothelial cells from different regions of the intact aorta.Materials and MethodsPorcine aortic endothelial cells were cultured for 6 days under static conditions or on an orbital shaker. The shaker generated a wave of medium, inducing pulsatile shear stress with a preferred orientation at the edge of the well or steadier shear stress with changing orientation at its centre. The topography and compliance of these cells and cells from the inner and outer curvature of ex vivo porcine aortic arches were measured by scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM).ResultsCells cultured under oriented shear stress were more elongated and less compliant than cells grown under static conditions or under shear stress with no preferred orientation. Cells from the outer curvature of the aorta were more elongated and less compliant than cells from the inner curvature.ConclusionThe elongation and compliance of cultured endothelial cells vary according to the pattern of applied shear stress, and are inversely correlated. A similar inverse correlation occurs in the aortic arch, with variation between regions thought to experience different haemodynamic stresses.
Highlights
Cells cultured under oriented shear stress were more elongated and less compliant than cells grown under static conditions or under shear stress with no preferred orientation
The elongation and compliance of cultured endothelial cells vary according to the pattern of applied shear stress, and are inversely correlated
A similar inverse correlation occurs in the aortic arch, with variation between regions thought to experience different haemodynamic stresses
Summary
It has long been known that endothelial cells are rounded and randomly oriented when cultured under static conditions, but become elongated and aligned with the flow when exposed to a unidirectional shear stress [1]. Endothelial cell border and nuclear elongation have been used to assess local shear stresses occurring in vivo and to explore the relation between shear and susceptibility to atherosclerosis [3,4]. Initial studies focused on assessment of cell nuclear elongation and alignment in vivo [5] whilst later work went on to focus on cell morphology both in vivo [6,7] and in vitro [1,8,9]. An increasing body of work suggests that cell morphology change is driven by cytoskeletal rearrangement [10,11,12] though the full mechanisms behind the mechanotransduction of shear stress remain unclear
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