title: [Effect of substrate stiffness on biological behavior of fibroblasts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of substrate stiffness on proliferation, migration of fibroblast and integrin β(1) expression in fibroblast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fibroblasts were inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5), (19.8 ± 1.1), and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa. After being cultured for 5 days or 6 days, cells were counted and cell proliferative activities (recorded as absorbance value) were assessed with methyl thiazolyl blue (MTT). After being cultured for 3 days, cell cycle was detected and proliferation index (PI) was calculated. The cell scratch test was used for determination of cell migration rate on post scratch day (PSD) 0 (the day of scratch), 1, 2, and 3. After being cultured for 2 days, the expression of integrin β(1) was determined by flow cytometry with fluorescence. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The proliferative speed and proliferative activity of fibroblasts were all increased along with the increase in substrate stiffness. PI of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5), (19.8 ± 1.1), and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was respectively 24.8%, 27.4%, 32.4%. On PSD 2, migration rate of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (19.8 ± 1.1) and (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was respectively (91.4 ± 5.1)%, (100.0 ± 1.3)%, which were higher than that of fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5) kPa [(55.8 ± 6.8)%, with F value respectively 3.5, 4.0, P values all below 0.01]. (3) The expression rate of integrin β(1) in fibroblasts inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (16.2 ± 0.5) kPa was the lowest (43.22%), and that in fibroblast inoculated on silicon substrate with stiffness of (200.1 ± 2.6) kPa was the highest (81.26%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substrate stiffness may have a great effect on proliferation and migration of fibroblast during the process of wound healing and scar formation, which can be related to regulation of integrin β(1) expression.
authors.affiliation: Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui-xue
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ju-hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D012825:Silicon
chemical_list: D019012:Integrin beta1; D012825:Silicon