Viscoelastic Properties of Vascular Endothelial Cells Exposed to Stretch

TL;DR

This study investigates how bovine aortic endothelial cells respond mechanically to cyclic stretch, revealing stiffening and alignment behaviors that suggest cellular adaptation to mechanical stress.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the micromechanical remodeling of endothelial cells under cyclic stretch, linking cytoskeletal changes to mechanical property alterations.

Findings

Endothelial cells stiffen when stretched.

Cells align their softest direction perpendicular to stretch.

Response may minimize intracellular strain.

Abstract

In this paper, we study how cytoskeletal remodeling is correlated to changes in subcellular microrheology. We analyze the changes in the magnitude and directionality of the shear and elastic moduli of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) exposed to cyclical, uniaxial stretch. We find that, when stretched, BAECs stiffen and align their softest direction of mechanical polarization perpendicular to stretch. We hypothesize that the response of VECs to stretch acts to minimize intracellular strain in response to stress.