Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Cellular biomechanics in the lung.

Christopher M Waters1, Peter H S Sporn, Mingyao Liu

  • 1Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis 38163, USA. cwaters@physio1.utmem.edu

American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
|August 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Mechanical forces significantly impact lung cell function and disease. Studies show biomechanics influences airway epithelial cells, eosinophil responses in asthma, ventilator-induced lung injury, and airway smooth muscle plasticity contributing to hyperresponsiveness.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Roles of divalent metals in the regulation of cyclic di-GMP signaling in bacteria.

Journal of bacteriology·2026
Same author

Bench evidence, bedside uncertainty: hyperoxia, mechanical ventilation and lung injury.

European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society·2026
Same author

Network-level divergence in cyclic di-GMP signalling drives ecological versatility in Acinetobacter baumannii.

NPJ biofilms and microbiomes·2026
Same author

Bacterial competition: How to hotwire a flagellum.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Anatomical Determinants of Tracheal Breathing Sounds: A Computational Study of Airway Narrowing and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Phages use contingency loci as a bet-hedging strategy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Cellular Biomechanics
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Mechanical forces critically influence lung cell function and phenotype.
  • Understanding lung cell biomechanics is vital for disease insights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent studies on lung cell biomechanics and disease.
  • To explore the role of mechanical forces in airway injury, asthma, and lung disease.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized enhanced green fluorescent protein-actin to study cytoskeletal changes in airway epithelial cells during wound healing.
  • Investigated eosinophil responses to cyclic mechanical stretch, including leukotriene C(4) synthesis.
  • Employed microarray analysis to assess gene expression changes in lung epithelial cells under cyclic mechanical stretch.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed airway smooth muscle cytoskeleton behavior to understand airway hyperresponsiveness.

    • Main Results:

    • Cyclic mechanical stretch decreased leukotriene C(4) synthesis in eosinophils, potentially via mechanotransduction.
    • Mechanical stretch profoundly affects gene expression in human lung epithelial cells.
    • Airway smooth muscle cytoskeleton may exhibit glassy behavior, contributing to airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling.

    Conclusions:

    • Mechanical forces play diverse and significant roles in normal lung physiology and pathophysiology.
    • Biomechanical insights are crucial for understanding and potentially treating lung diseases like asthma and ventilator-induced lung injury.