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Johnson RT, Solanki R, Wostear F, Ahmed S, Taylor JCK, Rees J, Abel G, McColl J, Jørgensen HF, Morris CJ, Bidula S, Warren DT. Piezo1-mediated regulation of smooth muscle cell volume in response to enhanced extracellular matrix rigidity. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:1576-1595. [PMID: 38044463 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Decreased aortic compliance is a precursor to numerous cardiovascular diseases. Compliance is regulated by the rigidity of the aortic wall and the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Extracellular matrix stiffening, observed during ageing, reduces compliance. In response to increased rigidity, VSMCs generate enhanced contractile forces that result in VSMC stiffening and a further reduction in compliance. Mechanisms driving VSMC response to matrix rigidity remain poorly defined. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human aortic-VSMCs were seeded onto polyacrylamide hydrogels whose rigidity mimicked either healthy (12 kPa) or aged/diseased (72 kPa) aortae. VSMCs were treated with pharmacological agents prior to agonist stimulation to identify regulators of VSMC volume regulation. KEY RESULTS On pliable matrices, VSMCs contracted and decreased in cell area. Meanwhile, on rigid matrices VSMCs displayed a hypertrophic-like response, increasing in area and volume. Piezo1 activation stimulated increased VSMC volume by promoting calcium ion influx and subsequent activation of PKC and aquaporin-1. Pharmacological blockade of this pathway prevented the enhanced VSMC volume response on rigid matrices whilst maintaining contractility on pliable matrices. Importantly, both piezo1 and aquaporin-1 gene expression were up-regulated during VSMC phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and after carotid ligation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS In response to extracellular matrix rigidity, VSMC volume is increased by a piezo1/PKC/aquaporin-1 mediated pathway. Pharmacological targeting of this pathway specifically blocks the matrix rigidity enhanced VSMC volume response, leaving VSMC contractility on healthy mimicking matrices intact. Importantly, upregulation of both piezo1 and aquaporin-1 gene expression is observed in disease relevant VSMC phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reesha Solanki
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Finn Wostear
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Sultan Ahmed
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - James C K Taylor
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, University of Cambridge, VPD Heart and Lung Research Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jasmine Rees
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Geraad Abel
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - James McColl
- Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Cell Imaging, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK
| | - Helle F Jørgensen
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, University of Cambridge, VPD Heart and Lung Research Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chris J Morris
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan Bidula
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Derek T Warren
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Liu S, Han Y, Kong L, Wang G, Ye Z. Atomic force microscopy in disease-related studies: Exploring tissue and cell mechanics. Microsc Res Tech 2024; 87:660-684. [PMID: 38063315 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Despite significant progress in human medicine, certain diseases remain challenging to promptly diagnose and treat. Hence, the imperative lies in the development of more exhaustive criteria and tools. Tissue and cellular mechanics exhibit distinctive traits in both normal and pathological states, suggesting that "force" represents a promising and distinctive target for disease diagnosis and treatment. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) holds great promise as a prospective clinical medical device due to its capability to concurrently assess surface morphology and mechanical characteristics of biological specimens within a physiological setting. This review presents a comprehensive examination of the operational principles of AFM and diverse mechanical models, focusing on its applications in investigating tissue and cellular mechanics associated with prevalent diseases. The findings from these studies lay a solid groundwork for potential clinical implementations of AFM. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: By examining the surface morphology and assessing tissue and cellular mechanics of biological specimens in a physiological setting, AFM shows promise as a clinical device to diagnose and treat challenging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaiyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yibo Han
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingwen Kong
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Central Hospital of Chongqing University, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Guixue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiyi Ye
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China
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Du R, Li L, Ji J, Fan Y. Receptor-Ligand Binding: Effect of Mechanical Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109062. [PMID: 37240408 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Gaining insight into the in situ receptor-ligand binding is pivotal for revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological and pathological processes and will contribute to drug discovery and biomedical application. An important issue involved is how the receptor-ligand binding responds to mechanical stimuli. This review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the effect of several representative mechanical factors, such as tension, shear stress, stretch, compression, and substrate stiffness on receptor-ligand binding, wherein the biomedical implications are focused. In addition, we highlight the importance of synergistic development of experimental and computational methods for fully understanding the in situ receptor-ligand binding, and further studies should focus on the coupling effects of these mechanical factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruotian Du
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Long Li
- State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jing Ji
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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Zhao W, Cao S, Cai H, Wu Y, Pan Q, Lin H, Fang J, He Y, Deng H, Liu Z. Chitosan/silk fibroin biomimic scaffolds reinforced by cellulose acetate nanofibers for smooth muscle tissue engineering. Carbohydr Polym 2022; 298:120056. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Hiroshima Y, Oyama Y, Sawasaki K, Nakamura M, Kimura N, Kawahito K, Fujie H, Sakamoto N. A Compressed Collagen Construct for Studying Endothelial-Smooth Muscle Cell Interaction Under High Shear Stress. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:951-963. [PMID: 35471673 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-02972-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The coculture of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) on collagen gels containing smooth muscle cells (SMCs) has been carried out to investigate cellular interactions associated with blood vessel pathophysiology under wall shear stress (WSS) conditions. However, due to a lack of gel stiffness, the previous collagen gel coculture constructs are difficult to use for pathologic higher WSS conditions. Here, we newly constructed a coculture model with centrifugally compressed cell-collagen combined construct (C6), which withstands higher WSS conditions. The elastic modulus of C6 was approximately 6 times higher than that of the uncompressed collagen construct. The level of α-smooth muscle actin, a contractile SMC phenotype marker observed in healthy arteries, was elevated in C6 compared with that of the uncompressed construct, and further increased by exposure to a physiological level WSS of 2 Pa, but not by a pathological level of 20 Pa. WSS conditions of 2 and 20 Pa also induced different expression ratios of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in the C6 coculture model but did not in monocultured ECs and SMCs. The C6 coculture model will be a powerful tool to investigate interactions between ECs and SMCs under pathologically high WSS conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Hiroshima
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji 3311-1, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Yuki Oyama
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sawasaki
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Masanori Nakamura
- Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso, Showa, Nagoya, 466-8555, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kimura
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Amanuma 1-847, Omiya, Saitama, 330-834, Japan
| | - Koji Kawahito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji 3311-1, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Fujie
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan.,Research Center for Medicine-Engineering Collaboration, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan. .,Research Center for Medicine-Engineering Collaboration, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan.
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Passive biaxial mechanical behavior of newborn mouse aorta with and without elastin. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2022; 126:105021. [PMID: 34864571 PMCID: PMC9808670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.105021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Aortic wall material properties are needed for computational models and for comparisons across developmental and disease states. There has been abundant work in comparing aortic material properties across disease states, but limited work across developmental states. We performed passive biaxial mechanical testing on newborn mouse aorta with (Eln+/+) and without (Eln-/-) elastin. Elastin provides elasticity to the aortic wall and is necessary for survival beyond birth in the mouse. Mechanically functional elastin is challenging to create in vitro and so Eln-/- aorta can be a comparison for tissue engineered arteries with limited elastin amounts. We found that a traditional arterial strain energy function provided reasonable fits to newborn mouse aorta and generally predicted lower material constants in Eln-/- compared to Eln+/+ aorta. At physiologic pressures, the circumferential stresses and moduli trended lower in Eln-/- compared to Eln+/+ aorta. Increased blood pressure in Eln-/- mice helps to alleviate the differences in stresses and moduli. Increased blood pressure also serves to partially offload stresses in the isotropic compared to the anisotropic component of the wall. The baseline material parameters can be used in computational models of growth and remodeling to improve understanding of developmental mechanobiology and tissue engineering strategies.
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Ahmed S, Johnson RT, Solanki R, Afewerki T, Wostear F, Warren DT. Using Polyacrylamide Hydrogels to Model Physiological Aortic Stiffness Reveals that Microtubules Are Critical Regulators of Isolated Smooth Muscle Cell Morphology and Contractility. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:836710. [PMID: 35153800 PMCID: PMC8830533 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.836710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the predominant cell type in the medial layer of the aortic wall and normally exist in a quiescent, contractile phenotype where actomyosin-derived contractile forces maintain vascular tone. However, VSMCs are not terminally differentiated and can dedifferentiate into a proliferative, synthetic phenotype. Actomyosin force generation is essential for the function of both phenotypes. Whilst much is already known about the mechanisms of VSMC actomyosin force generation, existing assays are either low throughput and time consuming, or qualitative and inconsistent. In this study, we use polyacrylamide hydrogels, tuned to mimic the physiological stiffness of the aortic wall, in a VSMC contractility assay. Isolated VSMC area decreases following stimulation with the contractile agonists angiotensin II or carbachol. Importantly, the angiotensin II induced reduction in cell area correlated with increased traction stress generation. Inhibition of actomyosin activity using blebbistatin or Y-27632 prevented angiotensin II mediated changes in VSMC morphology, suggesting that changes in VSMC morphology and actomyosin activity are core components of the contractile response. Furthermore, we show that microtubule stability is an essential regulator of isolated VSMC contractility. Treatment with either colchicine or paclitaxel uncoupled the morphological and/or traction stress responses of angiotensin II stimulated VSMCs. Our findings support the tensegrity model of cellular mechanics and we demonstrate that microtubules act to balance actomyosin-derived traction stress generation and regulate the morphological responses of VSMCs.
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Pasman T, Baptista D, van Riet S, Truckenmüller RK, Hiemstra PS, Rottier RJ, Hamelmann NM, Paulusse JMJ, Stamatialis D, Poot AA. Development of an In Vitro Airway Epithelial-Endothelial Cell Culture Model on a Flexible Porous Poly(Trimethylene Carbonate) Membrane Based on Calu-3 Airway Epithelial Cells and Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11030197. [PMID: 33799867 PMCID: PMC8001677 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11030197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Due to the continuing high impact of lung diseases on society and the emergence of new respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, there is a great need for in vitro lung models that more accurately recapitulate the in vivo situation than current models based on lung epithelial cell cultures on stiff membranes. Therefore, we developed an in vitro airway epithelial–endothelial cell culture model based on Calu-3 human lung epithelial cells and human lung microvascular endothelial cells (LMVECs), cultured on opposite sides of flexible porous poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) membranes. Calu-3 cells, cultured for two weeks at an air–liquid interface (ALI), showed good expression of the tight junction (TJ) protein Zonula Occludens 1 (ZO-1). LMVECs cultured submerged for three weeks were CD31-positive, but the expression was diffuse and not localized at the cell membrane. Barrier functions of the Calu-3 cell cultures and the co-cultures with LMVECs were good, as determined by electrical resistance measurements and fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) permeability assays. Importantly, the Calu-3/LMVEC co-cultures showed better cell viability and barrier function than mono-cultures. Moreover, there was no evidence for epithelial- and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT and EndoMT, respectively) based on staining for the mesenchymal markers vimentin and α-SMA, respectively. These results indicate the potential of this new airway epithelial–endothelial model for lung research. In addition, since the PTMC membrane is flexible, the model can be expanded by introducing cyclic stretch for enabling mechanical stimulation of the cells. Furthermore, the model can form the basis for biomimetic airway epithelial–endothelial and alveolar–endothelial models with primary lung epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs Pasman
- Technical Medical (TechMed) Centre, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands; (T.P.); (D.S.)
| | - Danielle Baptista
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.B.); (R.K.T.)
| | - Sander van Riet
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (S.v.R.); (P.S.H.)
| | - Roman K. Truckenmüller
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (D.B.); (R.K.T.)
| | - Pieter S. Hiemstra
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (S.v.R.); (P.S.H.)
| | - Robbert J. Rottier
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Departments of Pediatric Surgery and Cell Biology, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Naomi M. Hamelmann
- Department of Biomolecular NanoTechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands; (N.M.H.); (J.M.J.P.)
| | - Jos M. J. Paulusse
- Department of Biomolecular NanoTechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands; (N.M.H.); (J.M.J.P.)
| | - Dimitrios Stamatialis
- Technical Medical (TechMed) Centre, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands; (T.P.); (D.S.)
| | - André A. Poot
- Technical Medical (TechMed) Centre, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands; (T.P.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence:
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