Finite-element stress analysis of a multicomponent model of sheared and focally-adhered endothelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Hemodynamic forces applied at the apical surface of vascular endothelial cells may be redistributed to and amplified at remote intracellular organelles and protein complexes where they are transduced to biochemical signals. In this study we sought to quantify the effects of cellular material inhomogeneities and discrete attachment points on intracellular stresses resulting from physiological fluid flow. Steady-state shear- and magnetic bead-induced stress, strain, and displacement distributions were determined from finite-element stress analysis of a cell-specific, multicomponent elastic continuum model developed from multimodal fluorescence images of confluent endothelial cell (EC) monolayers and their nuclei. Focal adhesion locations and areas were determined from quantitative total inte

SUBMITTER: Ferko MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3251212 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature