The elongation and orientation of cultured endothelial cells in response to shear stress

Levesque, M. J.; Nerem, R. M.

Affiliations

¹Physiological Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston—University Park, Houston, Tex. 77004

Abstract

Vascular endothelial cells appear to be aligned with the flow in the immediate vicinity of the arterial wall and have a shape which is more ellipsoidal in regions of high shear and more polygonal in regions of low shear stress. In order to study quantitatively the nature of this response, bovine aortic endothelial cells grown on Thermanox plastic coverslips were exposed to shear stress levels of 10, 30, and 85 dynes/cm² for periods up to 24 hr using a parallel plate flow chamber. A computer-based analysis system was used to quantify the degree of cell elongation with respect to the change in cell angle of orientation and with time. The results show that (i) endothelial cells orient with the flow direction under the influence of shear stress, (ii) the time required for cell alignment with flow direction is somewhat longer than that required for cell elongation, (iii) there is a strong correlation between the degree of alignment and endothelial cell shape, and (iv) endothelial cells become more elongated when exposed to higher shear stresses.

Links

DOI: 10.1115/1.3138567

PubMed: 4079361

WoS: A1985AWG6600010

History

Received: 1985-02-19

Revised: 1985-07-29

Cited Works (1)

Year	Entry
1981	Dewey CF Jr, Bussolari SR, Gimbrone MA Jr, Davies PF. The dynamic response of vascular endothelial cells to fluid shear stress. J Biomech Eng. August 1981;103(3):177-185.

Cited By (21)

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1988	Theret DP, Levesque MJ, Sato M, Nerem RM, Wheeler LT. The application of a homogeneous half-space model in the analysis of endothelial cell micropipette measurements. J Biomech Eng. August 1988;110(3):190-199.
1990	Sato M, Theret DP, Wheeler LT, Ohshima N, Nerem RM. Application of the micropipette technique to the measurement of cultured porcine aortic endothelial cell viscoelastic properties. J Biomech Eng. August 1990;112(3):263-268.
2007	Ponik SM, Triplett JW, Pavalko FM. Osteoblasts and osteocytes respond differently to oscillatory and unidirectional fluid flow profiles. J Cell Biochem. February 15, 2007;100(3):794-807.
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2016	Miao J. An Improved in Vitro Cell-Shearing Device for Applying High Shear Stress Impulse on Cells [Master's thesis]. Drexel University; March 2016.
2006	Gemmiti CV. Effect of Fluid Flow on Tissue-Engineered Cartilage in a Novel Bioreactor [PhD thesis]. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology; December 2006.
2019	Ruehle MA. Cell-Based Vascular Therapeutics for Bone Regeneration [PhD thesis]. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology; August 2019.
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1987	Frangos JA. The Effect of Steady and Oscillatory Shear Stress on Endothelial Cell Function [PhD thesis]. Houston, TX: Rice University; May 1987.
2013	Wolfe RP. The Effect of Shear Stress on Pluripotent Stem Cells [PhD thesis]. Tulane University; 2013.
2009	Young EWK. Accessible Microfluidic Devices for Studying Endothelial Cell Biology [PhD thesis]. University of Toronto; 2009.
2008	Hastings NE. Atherosclerosis-Prone Hemodynamics Promote Phenotypic Modulation of Human Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; August 2008.
2010	Simmers MB. Hemodynamic Regulation of Endothelial Permeability and Migration [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; May 2010.