Vascular smooth muscle cell functional contractility depends on extracellular mechanical properties.

ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cells' primary function is to maintain vascular homeostasis through active contraction and relaxation. In diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, this function is inhibited concurrent to changes in the mechanical environment surrounding vascular smooth muscle cells. It is well established that cell function and extracellular mechanics are interconnected; variations in substrate modulus affect cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. To date, it is unknown how the evolving extracellular mechanical environment of vascular smooth muscle cells affects their contractile function. Here, we have built upon previous vascular muscular thin film technology to develop a variable-modulus vascular muscular thin film that measures vascular tissue functional c

SUBMITTER: Steucke KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4592799 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature