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Cellular and matrix mechanics of bioartificial tissues during continuous cyclic stretch
Jeremiah J Wille1, Elliot L Elson, Ruth J Okamoto
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
|October 13, 2006
Summary
Bioartificial tissues reveal how cardiac fibroblast mechanics change under cyclic stretching. Cell stiffness is influenced by stretching frequency and amplitude, challenging existing viscoelastic models.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cellular Mechanics
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Bioartificial tissues offer a tunable 3D environment for studying cell and extracellular matrix mechanics.
- These engineered tissues allow for precise modification and quantification of components, aiding mechanical studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanical properties of cardiac fibroblasts within bioartificial tissues under cyclic stretching.
- To quantify the contributions of cellular and matrix components to tissue force.
- To explore the relationship between cell stiffness and mechanical loading parameters like frequency and amplitude.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of bioartificial tissue rings using cardiac fibroblasts and collagen.
- Application of continuous cyclic stretching at varying time points (2, 4, 8 days) and frequencies (0.001-0.25 Hz).
- Measurement of tissue forces and matrix forces (using Cytochalasin-D) to estimate cell force and stiffness.
Main Results:
- Tissue rings compacted significantly and cell numbers increased during incubation.
- Peak tissue force declined rapidly upon initiation of stretching.
- Cell force-strain curves exhibited linear loading and viscoelastic behavior; cell stiffness increased with frequency but decreased with stretch amplitude.
Conclusions:
- Cellular and matrix components contribute distinctly to the mechanical response of bioartificial tissues.
- Cardiac fibroblast stiffness is sensitive to cyclic stretching parameters, showing frequency and amplitude dependence.
- Observed cell stiffness trends suggest complex strain-amplitude related behaviors not fully explained by current viscoelastic models.
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