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Migration Distance Affects Endothelial Cell Morphology
Author(s) -
Rubenstein David Alan,
Gendi Hebah El,
Tonick Shawna,
Frame Mary D
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a714-b
Subject(s) - extracellular matrix , anatomy , chemistry , perfusion , matrigel , morphology (biology) , endothelial stem cell , umbilical vein , extracellular , cell culture , aorta , biophysics , cell , in vitro , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , medicine , biochemistry , genetics
Our goal was to determine the phenotypic morphology of endothelial cells migrating from an explanted perfused artery into a tissue scaffold. To test this, an electrospun cellulose acetate scaffold (fiber diameter 1–5μm) was used to mimic the extracellular matrix for human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs) in tissue culture and endothelial cells (ECs) from an explanted perfused mouse aorta. Cells were stained with calcein/ethidum and imaged, after 3 days in culture or 1 day of perfusion. We hypothesized that ECs that had migrated from the perfused explant would differ in area or shape from HUVECs grown without the influence of flow. Cells either grew along fibers (elongated) or spread across many fibers (circular), where classification was based on the long vs. short axis (short <80% of long = elongated). The area of all HUVECs (34650 ± 3100μm 2 , n = 1062) was greater than all ECs (6350 ± 5700μm 2 , n = 117) attributed to cell type. Elongated ECs maintained a constant area (5000 ± 500μm 2 ) until they had migrated 400μm from the vessel where the area increased 3 fold (15000 ± 550μm 2 ). Elongated ECs within 400μm of the vessel had the same area as circular ECs at any distance. The long axis of HUVECs in tissue culture (280 ± 150μm) and ECs within 400μm of the vessel (130 ± 70μm) was greater than 2 times the respective short axes (121 ± 60μm, 50 ± 30μm), but ECs that migrated more than 400μm long axis was 4 times (210 ± 90μm) the short axis. The short axis and diameter of circular cells were equal and independent of distance, for both cell types. The increase in area was due from increases in long axis consistent with cell growth along fibers for cells that were further from the explanted artery. (NIH HL55492)