Kim K C, Zheng Q X, Brody J S
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore 21201.
J Cell Physiol. 1993 Sep;156(3):480-6. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1041560307.
Confluent cultures of primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells grown on a thick collagen gel are highly enriched with secretory cells and constitutively release mucins. In the present experiment, we examined the possible effect of mechanical strain of cultured HTSE cells on the release of mucin. The mechanical strain of cells was accomplished by several methods: 1) by floating the gel from the culture dish by rimming; 2) by treatment with EGTA which interrupts intercellular tight junctions; 3) by treatment with collagenase which disrupts the cell-matrix adhesion; and 4) by mechanically flexing the collagen gel matrix. All these conditions caused increases of mucin release without damage on the plasma membrane. We conclude that a number of mechanical strains which might alter cell shape can stimulate mucin release from cultured HTSE cells. Such a mechanism might be operative in the physiological regulation of airway goblet cell mucin secretion where mechanical strains may be induced on epithelial cells by underlying smooth muscles.
生长在厚胶原凝胶上的原代仓鼠气管表面上皮（HTSE）细胞融合培养物富含分泌细胞，并持续释放粘蛋白。在本实验中，我们研究了培养的HTSE细胞的机械应变对粘蛋白释放的可能影响。细胞的机械应变通过几种方法实现：1）通过边缘操作使凝胶从培养皿中漂浮起来；2）用乙二醇双四乙酸（EGTA）处理，破坏细胞间紧密连接；3）用胶原酶处理，破坏细胞与基质的黏附；4）机械弯曲胶原凝胶基质。所有这些条件都导致粘蛋白释放增加，且对质膜无损伤。我们得出结论，一些可能改变细胞形状的机械应变可刺激培养的HTSE细胞释放粘蛋白。这种机制可能在气道杯状细胞粘蛋白分泌的生理调节中起作用，在该调节过程中，下层平滑肌可能会在上皮细胞上诱导机械应变。
