Stimulation of epithelial tissue migration by certain porous topographies is independent of fluid flux.
A surface with columnar pores 0.1 or 0.4 microm in diameter is shown to have a novel effect on the migration of corneal epithelial tissue sheets; migration is stimulated in a nondirectional manner with respect to migration over a planar, nonporous surface (Dalton, Evans, McFarland, and Steele, J Biomed Mater Res 1999;45:384-394; Steele, Johnson, McLean, Beumer, and Griesser, J Biomed Mater Res 2000;50:475-482). By blind-ending the pores, we show that this increase in tissue migration is not dependent on fluid flux through the pores and so appears to occur as a result of surface topography. From transmission electron micrographs, the migrating tissue appears to form either close contacts or focal adhesions at the edge of some pore channels; we speculate that this may provide a fulcrum for the enhanced migration. Scanning electron micrographs suggest that within tissue that migrates over the surfaces that contain blind-ended pores, the cells are more extensively spread than those in tissue migrating on a planar surface. The migration of disaggregated epithelial cells is enhanced on surfaces that contain 0.1- or 0.4-microm-diameter pores (compared with a planar surface), and this is similarly independent of fluid flux.
Dalton
B A
BA
Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology and CSIRO Molecular Science, P.O. Box 184 North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia. ann.dalton@molsci.csiro.edu
McFarland
G A
GA
Steele
J G
JG
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D016062:Porosity; D012212:Rheology; D013499:Surface Properties
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement