title: Quantitative characterization of endothelial cell morphologies depending on shear stress in different blood vessels of domestic pigs using a focused ion beam and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM).
abstract: Microstructured surfaces mimicking the endothelial cell (EC) morphology is a new approach to improve the blood compatibility of synthetic vascular grafts. The ECs are capable of changing their shapes depending on different shear conditions. However, the quantitative correlation between EC morphology and shear stress has not yet been investigated statistically. The aim of this study was to quantitatively investigate the morphology of ECs in dependence on the shear stress. Blood flow rates in different types of natural blood vessels (carotid, renal, hepatic and iliac arteries) originated from domestic pigs were first measured in vivo to calculate the shear stresses. The EC morphologies were quantitatively characterized ex vivo by imaging with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cross-sectioning of the cells using a state-of-the-art focused ion beam (FIB). The relationships between EC geometrical parameters and shear stress were statistically analyzed and found to be exponential. ECs under high shear stress conditions had a longer length and narrower width, i.e. a higher aspect ratio, while the cell height was smaller compared to low shear conditions. Based on these results, suitable and valid geometrical parameters of microstructures mimicking EC can be derived for various shear conditions in synthetic vascular grafts to optimize blood compatibility.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Tam Thanh
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maenz
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lüdecke
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmerbauch
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Utz
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Settmacher
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Jena Center for Soft Matter, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jandt
authors.affiliation: Chair of Materials Science, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Department of Materials Science and Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bossert
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany. Electronic address: Juergen.zanow@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zanow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine
keywords: Endothelial cell morphology; Focused ion beam; Quantitative correlation; Scanning electron microscope; Shear stress