title: Effects of compressive residual stress on the morphologic  changes of fibroblasts.
abstract: Recently, the term tensotaxis was proposed to describe the phenomenon that tensile stress or strain affects cell migration. Even so, less attention has been paid to the effects of compressive stress on cell behavior. In this study, by using an injection-molded method combined with photoelastic technology, we developed residual stress gradient-controlled poly-L-lactide discs. After culturing NIH-3T3 fibroblasts on the stress gradient substrate, the cell distributions for high- and low-stress regions were measured and compared. Our results showed that there were significantly more cells in the low-compressive stress region relative to their high-stress analogs (p < 0.05). In addition, NIH-3T3 fibroblasts in the low-compressive stress region expressed more abundant extensive filopodia. These findings provide greater insight into the interaction between cells and substrates, and could serve as a useful reference for connective tissue development and repair.
authors.affiliation: Dental Department, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jen-Chang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kuo-Ning
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Chau-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chien-Wu
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Haw-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide)