title: A theoretical model for F-actin remodeling in vascular smooth muscle cells subjected to cyclic stretch.
abstract: A constrained mixture theory model was developed and used to estimate remodeling of F-actin in vascular smooth muscle cells that were subjected to 10% equibiaxial stretching for up to 30min. The model was based on a synthesis of data on time-dependent changes in atomic force microscopy measured cell stiffness and immunofluorescence measured focal adhesion associated vinculin as well as data on stress fiber stiffness and pre-stretch. Results suggest that an observed acute (after 2min of stretching) increase in cell stiffness is consistent with an increased stretch of the originally present F-actin plus an assembly of new F-actin having nearly homeostatic values of stretch. Moreover, the subsequent (after 30min of stretching) decrease in cell stiffness back towards the baseline value is consistent with a replacement of the overstretched original filaments with the new (reassembled), less stretched filaments. That is, overall cell response is consistent with a recently proposed concept of "tensional homeostasis" whereby cells seek to maintain constant certain mechanical factors via a remodeling of intracellular and transmembrane proteins. Although there is a need to refine the model based on more comprehensive data sets, using multiple experimental approaches, the present results suggest that a constrained mixture theory can capture salient features of the dynamics of F-actin remodeling and that it offers some advantages over many past methods of modeling, particularly those based on classical linearized viscoelasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and M.E. DeBakey Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Meininger
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Humphrey
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004548:Elasticity; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D022502:Stress Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016596:Vinculin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D016596:Vinculin