The effect of fluid shear stress upon cell adhesion to fibronectin-treated surfaces

Cell attachment to and spreading upon a surface is mediated by adhesion molecules, such as fibronectin. The role of fibronectin in maintaining cell adhesion was examined by measuring cell attachment following exposure of cells to laminar flow in a parallel-plate flow channel. 3T3 fibroblasts were allowed to adhere to glass slides with or without preadsorbed fibronectin for 2 h before exposure to shear stresses ranging from 5 to 140 dyne/cm2. For cells which adhered to glass surfaces, cell loss was biphasic with a significant loss of cells during the first 2 min of flow, followed by a much slower decline in the number of attached cells with time. Following exposure to shear stresses greater than 5 dyne/cm2, the number of attached cells decreased exponentially as the shear stress increased. The distribution of adhesive stresses among the population of cells was log-normal with a median of 50 dyne/cm2, a mean of 82 dyne/cm2 and a standard deviation of 108 dyne/cm2. After exposure to flow for 2 h, the adhesive stress of the remaining cells decreased to a mean value of 50 dyne/cm2. Cell adhesion after exposure to flow was increased by preadsorbing fibronectin to the glass surface. The initial loss of cells from fibronectin-treated glass following exposure to flow correlated with the degree of cell spreading. Preadsorbed fibronectin resulted in a greater number of bonds between the surface and the cell, which in turn promoted cell spreading and increased the adhesive strength of the cell.