Inverse poroelasticity as a fundamental mechanism in biomechanics and mechanobiology.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the mechanisms of deformation of biological materials is important for improved diagnosis and therapy, fundamental investigations in mechanobiology, and applications in tissue engineering. Here we demonstrate the essential role of interstitial fluid mobility in determining the mechanical properties of soft tissues. Opposite to the behavior expected for a poroelastic material, the tissue volume of different collagenous membranes is observed to strongly decrease with tensile loading. Inverse poroelasticity governs monotonic and cyclic responses of soft biomembranes, and induces chemo-mechanical coupling, such that tensile forces are modulated by the chemical potential of the interstitial fluid. Correspondingly, the osmotic pressure varies with mechanical loads, thus providing a

SUBMITTER: Ehret AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714996 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature