Johnson Robert T, Solanki Reesha, Warren Derek T
School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK.
Biophys Rev. 2021 Aug 30;13(5):757-768. doi: 10.1007/s12551-021-00833-6. eCollection 2021 Oct.
Arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), the predominant cell type within the arterial wall, detect and respond to external mechanical forces. These forces can be derived from blood flow (i.e. pressure and stretch) or from the supporting extracellular matrix (i.e. stiffness and topography). The healthy arterial wall is elastic, allowing the artery to change shape in response to changes in blood pressure, a property known as arterial compliance. As we age, the mechanical forces applied to ASMCs change; blood pressure and arterial wall rigidity increase and result in a reduction in arterial compliance. These changes in mechanical environment enhance ASMC contractility and promote disease-associated changes in ASMC phenotype. For mechanical stimuli to programme ASMCs, forces must influence the cell's load-bearing apparatus, the cytoskeleton. Comprised of an interconnected network of actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments, each cytoskeletal component has distinct mechanical properties that enable ASMCs to respond to changes within the mechanical environment whilst maintaining cell integrity. In this review, we discuss how mechanically driven cytoskeletal reorganisation programmes ASMC function and phenotypic switching.
动脉平滑肌细胞（ASMCs）是动脉壁内的主要细胞类型，可检测并响应外部机械力。这些力可源自血流（即压力和拉伸）或支持性细胞外基质（即硬度和拓扑结构）。健康的动脉壁具有弹性，使动脉能够根据血压变化改变形状，这一特性称为动脉顺应性。随着年龄增长，作用于ASMCs的机械力会发生变化；血压和动脉壁硬度增加，导致动脉顺应性降低。机械环境的这些变化增强了ASMC的收缩性，并促进了ASMC表型中与疾病相关的变化。为了使机械刺激对ASMCs进行编程，力必须影响细胞的承重装置——细胞骨架。细胞骨架由肌动蛋白丝、微管和中间丝相互连接的网络组成，每个细胞骨架成分都具有独特的机械特性，使ASMCs能够响应机械环境中的变化，同时保持细胞完整性。在本综述中，我们讨论了机械驱动的细胞骨架重组如何对ASMC功能和表型转换进行编程。
