Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
In Vitro Culture of Epithelial Cells from Different Anatomical Regions of the Human Amniotic Membrane
Published on: November 28, 2019
Stretch and inflammation-induced Pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF/Visfatin) and Interleukin-8 in amniotic
C E Kendal-Wright1, D Hubbard, J Gowin-Brown
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA. kendal@pbrc.hawaii.edu
Insights
Cyclic stretch and inflammation impact preterm birth markers. Cyclic stretch increases Pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) and IL-8 in amniotic cells, while inflammation strongly boosts IL-8.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms of parturition
Background:
- Preterm birth is a significant and increasing problem in the USA.
- Intrauterine infection and uterine over-distension are key causes of preterm birth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of static and cyclic stretch, and inflammatory stimuli on Pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) and IL-8 expression in amniotic epithelial cells (AEC).
- To investigate the mechanisms by which AEC respond to mechanical stretching.
Main Methods:
- Primary amniotic epithelial cells (AEC) were subjected to static stretch, cyclic stretch/release, and/or inflammatory stimulus (IL-1beta).
- Expression levels of PBEF and IL-8 were measured.
- Mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) and integrin-fibronectin interactions were investigated.
Main Results:
- Cyclic stretch/release was a more potent stimulus for both PBEF and IL-8 than static stretch.
- Inflammation (IL-1beta) significantly enhanced IL-8 expression more than PBEF expression.
- Blocking integrin-fibronectin binding reduced AEC responses to cyclic stretch/release, while ROS inhibition had minimal effect.
Conclusions:
- Mechanical stretch and inflammation differentially regulate PBEF and IL-8 in AEC.
- Integrin-fibronectin interactions are crucial for AEC mechanotransduction.
- Increased PBEF suggests a role in augmenting cellular metabolism and potentially stimulating labor.
Abstract:
Preterm birth continues to be a growing problem in the USA. Although approximately half of preterm births are caused by intrauterine infection, uterine over-distension is also a cause. In this study we have compared the effects of static stretch, cyclic stretch/release and an inflammatory stimulus alone and in combination on the expression of Pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) and IL-8 in primary amniotic epithelial cells (AEC). We then sought to identify some of the mechanism(s) by which these cells respond to stretching stimuli. We show that cyclic stretch/release is a more robust stimulus for both PBEF and IL-8 than static stretch. Cyclic stretch/release increased both intracellular and secreted PBEF and a combination of both types of stretch was a more robust stimulus to PBEF that IL-8. However, when an inflammatory stimulus (IL-1beta) was added to either kind of stretch, the effect on IL-8 was much greater than that on PBEF. Thus, different kinds of stretch affect the expression of these two cytokines from AEC, but inflammation is a much stronger stimulus of IL-8 than PBEF, agreeing with its primary role as a chemokine. Although the AEC showed morphological signs of increased cellular stress during stretching, blocking reactive oxygen species (ROS) had little effect. However, blocking integrin binding to fibronectin significantly reduced the responses of both PBEF and IL-8 to cyclic stretch/release. The increased PBEF, both intracellularly and secreted, suggests that it functions both to increase the metabolism of the cells, at the same time as stimulating further the cytokine cascade leading to parturition.
