Zhao Xinyao, Zhang Xiaolong, Lei Fei, Guo Weikang, Yu Hui, Wang Yaoxian
Department of Gynecological Radiotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
College of Shipbuilding Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China.
PLoS One. 2025 May 5;20(5):e0321296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321296. eCollection 2025.
Cellular mechanical properties play a critical role in physiological and pathological processes, with fluid shear stress being a key determinant. Despite its importance, the impact of fluid shear stress on the mechanical characteristics of HeLa cells and its role in the mechanism of tumor metastasis remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the effects of varying durations of fluid shear stress on the mechanical properties of HeLa cells, thereby elucidating the mechanical interactions between the fluid flow environment and cancer cells during tumor metastasis. We established an in vitro fluid shear stress cell experimental system and analyzed the flow field characteristics within a parallel plate flow chamber using computational fluid dynamics software. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the mechanical properties of HeLa cells at different time points under a fluid shear stress of 10 dyn/cm², a value representative of physiological conditions. computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed the stability of laminar flow and the uniformity of shear stress within the parallel plate flow chamber. The experimental results revealed that with increasing fluid shear stress exposure duration, HeLa cells exhibited a fusiform shape, with a reduction in cell height and a significant decrease in cell Young's modulus. By integrating atomic force microscopy with the in vitro fluid shear stress cell experimental system, this study demonstrates the substantial influence of fluid shear stress on the mechanical properties of HeLa cells. This provides novel insights into the behavior of cancer cells within the in vivo flow environment. Our findings enhance the understanding of cellular mechanical property regulation and offer valuable insights for biomedicine engineering research.
细胞力学特性在生理和病理过程中起着关键作用，其中流体剪切应力是一个关键决定因素。尽管其重要性，但流体剪切应力对HeLa细胞力学特性的影响及其在肿瘤转移机制中的作用仍知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨不同持续时间的流体剪切应力对HeLa细胞力学特性的影响，从而阐明肿瘤转移过程中流体流动环境与癌细胞之间的力学相互作用。我们建立了体外流体剪切应力细胞实验系统，并使用计算流体动力学软件分析了平行板流动腔内的流场特性。利用原子力显微镜测量了在代表生理条件的10达因/平方厘米流体剪切应力下不同时间点HeLa细胞的力学特性。计算流体动力学分析证实了平行板流动腔内层流的稳定性和剪切应力的均匀性。实验结果表明，随着流体剪切应力暴露时间的增加，HeLa细胞呈现出梭形，细胞高度降低，细胞杨氏模量显著下降。通过将原子力显微镜与体外流体剪切应力细胞实验系统相结合，本研究证明了流体剪切应力对HeLa细胞力学特性的重大影响。这为体内流动环境中癌细胞的行为提供了新的见解。我们的研究结果增进了对细胞力学特性调节的理解，并为生物医学工程研究提供了有价值的见解。
