Effects of direct current electric fields on vascular endothelial cell orientation and the influence of actin
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-1424.2010.06.001
- VernacularTitle:直流电场对血管内皮细胞排列的影响及肌动蛋白在其中的作用
- Author:
Entong WANG
;
Wei CHEN
;
Weixi GONG
;
Xiaoli MA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Electric stimulation;
Vascular endothelial cells;
Cell polarity;
Cytoskeleton;
Actin
- From:
Chinese Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2010;32(6):401-404
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effects of direct current electric fields on the orientation responses of vascular endothelial cells and the influence of the cytoskeleton filament actin on the orientation responses of cells in direct current electric fields. Methods Cultured vascular endothelial cells, with or without treatment with the actin inhibitors cytochalasin B or Y27632, were exposed to a direct current electric field of 200 mV/mm, and cell images were taken at 0, 4 and 8 hours during the exposure. Cells not exposed to the electric field were used as a control.Cell orientation was quantified using an image analyzer. Immunofluorescence staining of the cells for F-actin was observed through confocal microscopy. Results Cells in the control cultures oriented randomly with no predominant polarity. Cells exposed to the direct current electric field showed significant re-orientation to align their long axes perpondicular to the field vector. Neither cytochalasin B nor Y27632 reduced the re-orientation induced by the field, and earlier orientation response was observed in Y27632-treated cells. F-actin staining showed that the orientation of F-actin stress fibres was at random in control cells and perpendicular to the field vector in the field-exposed cells without any drug treatment. Although the formation of stress fibres was inhibited in the cytochalasin B-or Y27632-treated cells, the cells in the direct current electric fields kept their re-orientation responses, similar to the cells without any drug treatment. Conclusions A direct current electric field can induce vascular endothelial cells to re-orient, but the re-orientation response is independent of actin polymerization and actin stress fiber formation.
