Shear stress effects on human embryonic kidney cells in Vitro.
Human embryonic kidney cells grown as an attached, confluent monolayer on a flat substrate were subjected to steady, uniform laminar flow of medium in a specially designed chamber in which flow patterns and shear stress are accurately defined and controlled. Experiments were performed for shear stress levels ranging from 0.2 to 6.0 N/m(2) with times of exposure to the shear stress ranging from 2 to 24 h. The influence of the shear field was slight at low shear stress (0.26 N/m(2)). Higher stress levels (0.65 N/m(2) and higher) had significant effects on cell morphology, and on the post-shear release of urokinase enzyme. Still higher stress levels (2.6 N/m(2) and higher) caused marked reduction in cell viability. These results may be of interest in addressing practical problems in developing commercial biosynthesis reactors.
Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
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Stathopoulos
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JD
Hellums