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Cells in fluidic environments are sensitive to flow frequency.

Mercedes Balcells1, Marta Fernández Suárez, María Vázquez

  • 1Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. merche@mit.edu

Journal of Cellular Physiology
|February 9, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Cell proliferation and function depend on pulsatile flow frequency. Optimal frequencies, specific to cell type and organ, enhance cellular responses, independent of shear stress.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Cell Biology
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Cells dynamically respond to their mechanical surroundings, including fluid shear stress, cyclic stretch, and pressure.
  • Pulsatility's impact on cellular behavior is a growing area of research, particularly in tissues exposed to constant fluid flow.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if an optimal intrinsic flow frequency exists for determining cell phenotype.
  • To determine the effect of pulsatile flow frequency on the proliferation and function of various cell types.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), rat small intestine epithelial cells (RSIEC), and rat lung epithelial cells (RLEC) in a perfusion bioreactor.
  • Applying pulsatile flow at varying frequencies and measuring cell proliferation, nitric oxide synthase activity, and prostacyclin production.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparing cellular responses under different frequencies, independent of shear stress levels.

    • Main Results:

    • Cell proliferation peaked at specific frequencies: 1 Hz for vascular endothelial and pulmonary epithelial cells, and 0.125 Hz or no flow for gastrointestinal cells.
    • Nitric oxide synthase activity and prostacyclin production in BAEC were maximal at 1 Hz pulsatile flow.
    • Optimal frequencies correlated with the physiological operating ranges of the respective organs.

    Conclusions:

    • Flow frequency is a critical factor influencing cell phenotype and function in pulsatile environments, independent of shear stress.
    • The identified optimal frequencies align with physiological conditions, suggesting a frequency-tuned cellular response mechanism.