Hypergravity speeds up the development of T-lymphocyte motility.
The effect of altered gravity on single cells has been reported in a number of studies. From the investigation of the immune system response to spaceflight conditions, interest has focused on the influence of gravity on single lymphocytes. Microgravity has been shown to decrease lymphocyte activation and to influence motility. On the other hand, the effect of hypergravity on lymphocyte motility has not been explored. We studied the migration of human peripheral blood T lymphocytes cultured in vitro in a hypergravity environment (10g). After hypergravity culture for 1-11 days, T cells were seeded on a fibronectin-coated glass surface, observed by time-lapse bright-field microscopy, and tracked by a computer program. We found that T cells, activated and then cultured in hypergravity, become motile earlier than cells cultured at normal gravity. These results suggest that hypergravity stimulates T cell migration.
LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. m.galimberti@light4tech.com
Massimo
M
Galimberti
Iva M
IM
Tolić-Nørrelykke
Roberto
R
Favillini
Raffaella
R
Mercatelli
Francesco
F
Annunziato
Lorenzo
L
Cosmi
Francesco
F
Liotta
Veronica
V
Santarlasci
Enrico
E
Maggi
Francesco S
FS
Pavone
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D018471:Hypergravity; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*