气道平滑肌细胞长距离促进胶原基质的重构作用

Long-range biomechanics of airway smooth muscle cells in collagen fibrillary remodeling

本研究利用微加工图形技术,设计了气道平滑肌细胞团的点阵排布,通过荧光标记胶原蛋白,以可控和可视化的方式研究细胞长距离促进胶原基质重构的力学机制。实验结果显示,24 h内,相距300μm的细胞之间能有效生成胶原纤维条带,在相距800μm的细胞团组之间也有此现象,表明细胞能长距离地精确调控胶原基质的重构作用。进一步探索该现象的细胞力学机制,发现加入肌动蛋白骨架和收缩力的抑制剂均阻止了胶原纤维的发生,而添加钙离子抑制剂的实验结果证明细胞钙信号参与了胶原重构。本研究初步验证了细胞收缩力和钙信号的传导作用,可为进一步深入研究细胞群体力学交流水平上的力学信号转导通路提供思路。

We designed array distribution of airway smooth muscle(ASM)cell clusters by using micro-patterning technology,and investigated the mechanical mechanism of long-distance collagen matrix remodeling promoted by cells in a controlled and visual manner by fluorescent labeling of collagen.The experimental results demonstrated that fluorescent collagen fibers were shown up within 24 h between two-clusters separated with 300μm distance,and this phenomenon also occured between the two-cluster pairs with 800μm separation.We further explored the cellular mechanical mechanism of this phenomenon and found that the addition of actin skeleton and contractile force inhibitors both prevented the formation of collagen fibers,while the experimental results of the addition of calcium ion inhibitors demonstrated that cellular calcium signals participated in collagen remodeling.The preliminary verification of the effects of cell contraction force and calcium signaling,can provide ideas for further in-depth research on mechanical signal transduction pathways at the mechanical communication level of cell population.