title: A uniaxial cell stretcher in vitro model simulating tissue expansion of plastic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both in vivo and in vitro, cells are subjected to mechanical stress, which can affect their proliferation and differentiation. However, the detailed mechanisms of the accompanying morphologic and biochemical changes remain elusive. This is partially caused by the lack of suitable stretch model and method that mimic soft tissue expansion used in plastic surgery. In this study, we report the development of a novel model for uniaxial stretch cell mimicking tissue expansion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fibroblasts, grown in plastic culture caskets, were stretched in a progressive and accumulative manner lasting from 1 to 4 days. Cell proliferation was measured using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and the Western blot analysis of cell cycle proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following the stretch protocol, fibroblasts elongated and aligned parallel to each other and to the applied strain vectors. Furthermore, stretch-stimulated cell proliferation was compared with the unstretched conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that this uniaxial cell stretcher device and the accumulative stretch method are a suitable system for mimicking the tissue expansion process used in clinical applications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not gradable.
authors.affiliation: Ninth Department of Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jincai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Wenlin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zengjie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhuming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D013997:Time Factors; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; C022616:thiazolyl blue