Endothelial cell substrate stiffness influences neutrophil transmigration via myosin light chain kinase-dependent cell contraction.

ABSTRACT: A vast amount of work has been dedicated to the effects of shear flow and cytokines on leukocyte transmigration. However, no studies have explored the effects of substrate stiffness on transmigration. Here, we investigated important aspects of endothelial cell contraction-mediated neutrophil transmigration using an in vitro model of the vascular endothelium. We modeled blood vessels of varying mechanical properties using fibronectin-coated polyacrylamide gels of varying physiologic stiffness, plated with human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers, which were activated with tumor necrosis factor-α. Interestingly, neutrophil transmigration increased with increasing substrate stiffness below the endothelium. HUVEC intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, stiffness, cytoskel

SUBMITTER: Stroka KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3156049 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature