Strain waveform dependence of stress fiber reorientation in cyclically stretched osteoblastic cells: effects of viscoelastic compression of stress fibers.

Actin stress fibers (SFs) of cells cultured on cyclically stretched substrate tend to reorient in the direction in which a normal strain of substrate becomes zero. However, little is known about the mechanism of this reorientation. Here we investigated the effects of cyclic stretch waveform on SF reorientation in osteoblastic cells. Cells adhering to silicone membranes were subjected to cyclic uniaxial stretch, having one of the following waveforms with an amplitude of 8% for 24 h: triangular, trapezoid, bottom hold, or peak hold. SF reorientation of these cells was then analyzed. No preferential orientation was observed for the triangular and the peak-hold waveforms, whereas SFs aligned mostly in the direction with zero normal strain (~55°) with other waveforms, especially the trapezoid waveform, which had a hold time both at loaded and unloaded states. Viscoelastic properties of SFs were estimated in a quasi-in situ stress relaxation test using intact and SF-disrupted cells that maintained their shape on the substrate. The dynamics of tension F(SFs) acting on SFs during cyclic stretching were simulated using these properties. The simulation demonstrated that F(SFs) decreased gradually during cyclic stretching and exhibited a compressive value (F(SFs) < 0). The magnitude and duration time of the compressive forces were relatively larger in the group with a trapezoid waveform. The frequency of SF orientation had a significant negative correlation with the applied compressive forces integrated with time in a strain cycle, and the integrated value was largest with the trapezoid waveform. These results may indicate that the applied compressive forces on SFs have a significant effect on the stretch-induced reorientation of SFs, and that SFs realigned to avoid their compression. Stress relaxation of SFs might be facilitated during the holding period in the trapezoid waveform, and depolymerization and reorientation of SFs were significantly accelerated by their viscoelastic compression.