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.
Galimberti
Massimo
M
LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. m.galimberti@light4tech.com
Tolić-Nørrelykke
Iva M
IM
Favillini
Roberto
R
Mercatelli
Raffaella
R
Annunziato
Francesco
F
Cosmi
Lorenzo
L
Liotta
Francesco
F
Santarlasci
Veronica
V
Maggi
Enrico
E
Pavone
Francesco S
FS
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*