( arch scientist Shunichi Usami who cont...)Researchers learn how blood vessel cells cope with their pressure-packed job

arch scientist Shunichi Usami, who contributed to the design of the miniature workout chambers. Silicone rubber membranes inside the chambers were coated with a protein that allowed the endothelial cells to adhere to the membranes in a manner similar to how they attach to underlying blood vessel tissue in the body. The researchers isolated endothelial cells from the bovine aorta, grew the cells in culture flasks, and seeded them onto the silicone membranes. After the cells grew into confluent layers, a piston-like "indenter" was programmed to repeatedly push into the underside of the membranes and retract. The 60-cycle-per-minute motion of the indenter simulated the stretching movements of a blood vessel in response to the rising-and-falling blood pressure produced by a beating heart.

The researchers also demonstrated that inhibition of either Rho or a related protein called Rho kinase resulted in loss of the healthy alignment of stress fibers as well as alignment of adhesion sites where those stress fibers would attach to the cell membrane."These new results clearly show that Rho and physical stresses cooperate to produce healthy alignments of stress fibers," said Chien. "We need to understand how cells can sense the mechanical force and achieve this beneficial effect through the activation of Rho, and we also need to identify other proteins that may be involved in this feedback control mechanism."

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Source:University of California - San Diego


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