Enhanced wall shear stress prevents obstruction by astrocytes in ventricular catheters.

ABSTRACT: The treatment of hydrocephalus often involves the placement of a shunt catheter into the cerebrospinal ventricular space, though such ventricular catheters often fail by tissue obstruction. While diverse cell types contribute to the obstruction, astrocytes are believed to contribute to late catheter failure that can occur months after shunt insertion. Using in vitro microfluidic cultures of astrocytes, we show that applied fluid shear stress leads to a decrease of cell confluency and the loss of their typical stellate cell morphology. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes exposed to moderate shear stress for an extended period of time are detached more easily upon suddenly imposed high fluid shear stress. In light of these findings and examining the range of values of wall shear stre

SUBMITTER: Lee S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7423414 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature