Photoelasticity-based evaluation of cellular contractile force for phenotypic discrimination of vascular smooth muscle cells.

ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) have two distinct phenotypes: contractile and synthetic. The major difference between these phenotypes lies in the magnitude of the contractile force produced by the cell. Although traction force microscopy (TFM) is often used to evaluate cellular contractile force, this method requires complex preprocessing and a sufficiently compliant substrate. To evaluate the contractile force and the phenotype of living VSMCs with minimal effort and in a manner independent of the substrate stiffness, we propose a photoelasticity-based method using retardation, which is related to the difference between the first and second principal stresses and their orientation. The results demonstrate that actin filaments co-localize with areas of high retardation in cells, indi

SUBMITTER: Sugita S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6408479 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature