Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; Bioengineering Departments, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Nanomedicine. 2013 Oct;9(7):875-84. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2013.03.006. Epub 2013 Mar 20.
In this study we employ atomic force microscopy, supported by finite element analysis and fluorescence microscopy, to characterize the elastic properties accompanying cytoskeletal structural rearrangements of lung microvascular endothelial cells in response to barrier altering stimuli. Statistical analysis of elasticity data obtained from multiple cells demonstrates a heterogeneous cellular elastic response to barrier-enhancing and barrier-disrupting agents; sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and thrombin, respectively. A small but detectable (10%) increase in the average elastic modulus of all cells is observed for S1P, which is accompanied by a corresponding significant decrease in cell thickness. Variable effects of thrombin on these parameters were observed. To account for possible substrate effects in our elasticity analysis, we analyzed only the low-force sections of the force-displacement curves and utilized a finite-thickness correction to the Hertzian model. Our finite element analysis results substantiate this approach. The heterogeneous elastic behavior correlates with differential cytoskeletal rearrangements observed with fluorescence microscopy.
This team of investigators employed atomic force microscopy coupled with finite element analysis and fluorescence microscopy to characterize the elastic properties accompanying cytoskeletal structural rearrangements of lung microvascular endothelial cells in response to barrier altering stimuli, demonstrating the validity of their approach.
在这项研究中，我们采用原子力显微镜，结合有限元分析和荧光显微镜，来描述肺微血管内皮细胞的细胞骨架结构重排伴随的弹性特性，以响应改变屏障的刺激。从多个细胞中获得的弹性数据的统计分析表明，对增强屏障和破坏屏障的试剂，即鞘氨醇 1-磷酸（S1P）和凝血酶，细胞具有异质的弹性反应。S1P 可使所有细胞的平均弹性模量小但可检测地（10%）增加，同时细胞厚度相应显著减小。观察到凝血酶对这些参数的可变影响。为了在我们的弹性分析中考虑可能的基质效应，我们仅分析力-位移曲线的低力部分，并利用赫芝模型的有限厚度修正。我们的有限元分析结果证实了这种方法。异质弹性行为与荧光显微镜观察到的差异细胞骨架重排相关。
这个研究团队采用原子力显微镜结合有限元分析和荧光显微镜，来描述肺微血管内皮细胞的细胞骨架结构重排伴随的弹性特性，以响应改变屏障的刺激，证明了他们的方法的有效性。
