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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Mechanical Stimulation of Stem Cells Using Cyclic Uniaxial Strain
Published on: July 29, 2007
The effect of a cyclic uniaxial strain on urinary bladder cells
Dorien Tiemessen1, Paul de Jonge1, Willeke Daamen2
1Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, route267, Geert Grooteplein 16, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Purpose:
Pre-conditioning of a cell seeded construct may improve the functional outcome of a tissue engineered construct for augmentation cystoplasty. The precise effects of mechanical stimulation on urinary bladder cells in vitro are not clear. In this study we investigate the effect of a cyclic uniaxial strain culture on urinary bladder cells which were seeded on a type I collagen scaffold.
Methods:
Isolated porcine smooth muscle cells or urothelial cells were seeded on a type I collagen scaffolds and cultured under static and dynamic conditions. A uniform cyclic uniaxial strain was applied to the seeded scaffold using a Bose Electroforce Bio-Dynamic bioreactor. Cell proliferation rate and phenotype were investigated, including SEM analysis, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry for α-Smooth muscle actin, calponin-1, desmin and RCK103 expression to determine the effects of mechanical stimulation on both cell types.
Results:
Dynamic stimulation of smooth muscle cell seeded constructs resulted in cell alignment and enhanced proliferation rate. Additionally, expression of α-Smooth muscle actin and calponin-1 was increased suggesting differentiation of smooth muscle cells to a more mature phenotype.
Conclusions:
Mechanical stimuli did not enhance the proliferation and differentiation of urothelial cells. Mechanical stimulation, i.e., preconditioning may improve the functional in vivo outcome of smooth muscle cell seeded constructs for flexible organs such as the bladder.
