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Tension characteristics of the stress‐relaxed collagen matrix (733.3)
Author(s) -
Vaughan Melville,
Spencer Chelsea
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.733.3
Subject(s) - contraction (grammar) , myofibroblast , matrix (chemical analysis) , tension (geology) , extracellular matrix , ultimate tensile strength , materials science , biomedical engineering , chemistry , biophysics , composite material , pathology , medicine , biology , fibrosis , biochemistry
The stress‐relaxed collagen matrix is a simple yet appropriate experimental model to study the myofibroblast of wound healing and pathological contractures, because cells are able to generate forces necessary to stimulate myofibroblast differentiation. Although the model has been used for a number of years its tensile properties have not been fully characterized. Our goal was to demonstrate tension maturation on a daily basis, determine the maximum tension generated by an individual cell culture, and determine what problems are associated with long‐term culture. Human and rat fibroblasts were cultured within type‐1 collagen matrices; we indirectly quantified tension by measuring the contraction of the matrix after release from the dish at various times after setup. We plotted a line graph of time versus area. We observed a characteristic curve composed of two slopes, one due to stress fiber‐related contraction and a subsequent slope related to tractional‐force diameter reduction. Over time the ratio of contraction versus tractional force increased to a maximum; at a designated time beyond the maximum, the ratio decreased, suggesting a reduction of tension related to failure of the matrix. The failure may have been caused by attachment slippage or migration of cells out of the matrix. The contraction/tractional force ratio can be used to determine the tension maturity within a given experiment. Investigators using this model will likely need to determine whether this matrix can support the cell’s maximum tension generation before mounting a large‐scale study.