HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 98/4/1567    most recent 00925.2004v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (15) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Trepat, X. Articles by Navajas, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Trepat, X. Articles by Navajas, D.

HIGHLIGHTED TOPICS
Biomechanics and Mechanotransduction in Cells and Tissues

Thrombin and histamine induce stiffening of alveolar epithelial cells

Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain

Submitted 26 August 2004 ; accepted in final form 11 November 2004

The mechanical properties of alveolar epithelial cells play a central role in maintaining the physical integrity of the alveolar epithelium. We studied the viscoelastic properties of alveolar epithelial cells (A549) in response to thrombin and histamine with optical magnetic twisting cytometry. Ferrimagnetic beads coated with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-peptide or acetylated low-density lipoprotein were bound to cell surface receptors and subsequently twisted in an oscillatory magnetic field (0.1–100 Hz). The cell storage (G') and loss (G'') moduli were computed from twisting torque and bead displacement. In measurements with RGD-coated beads, thrombin (0.5 U/ml) induced a rapid and sustained threefold increase in G' and G'' at 100 s after challenge. Histamine (100 µM) induced a rapid but transient twofold increase in G' and G'' with maximum values 60 s after challenge. Posttreatment with cytochalasin D abolished thrombin-induced cell stiffening. G' increased with frequency following a power law with exponent 0.214. G'' increased proportionally to G' up to 10 Hz but showed a steeper rise at higher frequencies. Thrombin caused a fall in the power-law exponent (0.164). In measurements with acetylated low-density lipoprotein-coated beads, minor changes (<20%) were observed in G' and G'' after the addition of thrombin and histamine. F-actin staining revealed that thrombin and histamine induced a profound reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton at the cell periphery and formation of actin bundles. In the mechanically dynamic environment of the lung, cell stiffening induced by thrombin and histamine increases centripetal tension, which could contribute to alveolar barrier dysfunction.

cell mechanics; cell rheology; cytoskeleton mechanics; magnetic twisting cytometry; cytoskeleton reorganization

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. U. Azeloglu, J. Bhattacharya, and K. D. Costa Atomic force microscope elastography reveals phenotypic differences in alveolar cell stiffness J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2008; 105(2): 652 - 661. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Icard-Arcizet, O. Cardoso, A. Richert, and S. Henon Cell Stiffening in Response to External Stress is Correlated to Actin Recruitment Biophys. J., April 1, 2008; 94(7): 2906 - 2913. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. C. Yalcin, S. F. Perry, and S. N. Ghadiali Influence of airway diameter and cell confluence on epithelial cell injury in an in vitro model of airway reopening J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2007; 103(5): 1796 - 1807. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Roca-Cusachs, I. Almendros, R. Sunyer, N. Gavara, R. Farre, and D. Navajas Rheology of Passive and Adhesion-Activated Neutrophils Probed by Atomic Force Microscopy Biophys. J., November 1, 2006; 91(9): 3508 - 3518. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Gavara, R. Sunyer, P. Roca-Cusachs, R. Farre, M. Rotger, and D. Navajas Thrombin-induced contraction in alveolar epithelial cells probed by traction microscopy J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2006; 101(2): 512 - 520. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Trepat, F. Puig, N. Gavara, J. J. Fredberg, R. Farre, and D. Navajas Effect of stretch on structural integrity and micromechanics of human alveolar epithelial cell monolayers exposed to thrombin Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, June 1, 2006; 290(6): L1104 - L1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Trache, J. P. Trzeciakowski, L. Gardiner, Z. Sun, M. Muthuchamy, M. Guo, S. Y. Yuan, and G. A. Meininger Histamine Effects on Endothelial Cell Fibronectin Interaction Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy Biophys. J., October 1, 2005; 89(4): 2888 - 2898. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]