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Evaluation of sex‐specific endothelial cell actin fiber orientation (675.2)
Author(s) -
Stockard Kevin,
Bingaman Susan,
Huxley Virginia
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.675.2
Subject(s) - actin , smooth muscle , cell type , anatomy , biology , medicine , cell , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , cardiology , endocrinology , genetics
Cardiovascular disease with subsequent heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Sex disparities with regard to cardiovascular function at the cellular level have received minimal attention in either macro‐ or micro‐ vasculature. We hypothesized that structural differences exist between male and female endothelial cells (EC) isolated and cultured from three vessel types: aorta (macrovessel) and mesenteric and skeletal muscle microvessels. Atomic force microscopy was used to image all cell types for both sexes. Raw deflection images, height profiles, and color maps revealed sex differences in actin fiber orientation amongst all cell types. Profiles of frequency vs. fiber direction were also computed and graphed. Dominant actin fractal dimensions (DAFD) of each cell type were calculated. The DAFD was consistently larger in females (F) than in males (M): 53% larger in aorta; 39% larger in mesentery; and 171% larger in skeletal muscle vessel. These differences indicate that the overall actin fiber orientation of EC from F converges in one direction more uniformly than from M, consistent with a more organized arrangement of fibers in F EC. Knowledge of sex similarities and differences of microvascular EC phenotype may yield clues as to their structural properties (e.g. elastic moduli). These properties may translate to characteristics of the intact vessel and could serve as a starting point to understand sex differences in cardiovascular outcomes. Grant Funding Source : Supported by: DK095501, HCO6RR17353, & the MU Pulmonary/MPP Partnership