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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Fibroblast Derived Human Engineered Connective Tissue for Screening Applications
Published on: August 20, 2021
Tensile properties of fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells
Hiroshi Miyazaki1, Kozaburo Hayashi, Yoshitaka Hasegawa
1Division of Mechanical Science, Department of Systems and Human Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan.
Abstract:
Tensile properties of fibroblasts (FBs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of synthetic and contractile phenotypes were studied using a newly developed micro-tensile tester. FBs were obtained from the rabbit patellar tendon. Synthetic and contractile VSMCs were isolated from the rabbit thoracic aorta with an explant and an enzymatic digestion method, respectively. Each cell was attached to the fine tips of a pair of micropipettes with a cell adhesive and, then, stretched at the speed of 6 microm/sec. Load and length were obtained using a cantilever-type load cell and a VDA, respectively.FBs were broken at the load of 0.9 microN and the elongation to failure of 86 microm, and had the stiffness of 0.02 N/m. VSMCs were not broken even at 2.4 microN. The stiffness of synthetic and contractile VSMCs were 0.09 and 0.17 N/m, respectively. Such large different tensile properties among the three cells are attributable to the differences in components and cytoskeletal structures.
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