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Xiao Z, Postma RJ, van Zonneveld AJ, van den Berg BM, Sol WM, White NA, van de Stadt HJ, Mirza A, Wen J, Bijkerk R, Rotmans JI. A bypass flow model to study endothelial cell mechanotransduction across diverse flow environments. Mater Today Bio 2024; 27:101121. [PMID: 38988818 PMCID: PMC11234155 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Disturbed flow is one of the pathological initiators of endothelial dysfunction in intimal hyperplasia (IH) which is commonly seen in vascular bypass grafts, and arteriovenous fistulas. Various in vitro disease models have been designed to simulate the hemodynamic conditions found in the vasculature. Nonetheless, prior investigations have encountered challenges in establishing a robust disturbed flow model, primarily attributed to the complex bifurcated geometries and distinctive flow dynamics. In the present study, we aim to address this gap by introducing an in vitro bypass flow model capable of inducing disturbed flow and other hemodynamics patterns through a pulsatile flow in the same model. To assess the model's validity, we employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate hemodynamics and compared the morphology and functions of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs) under disturbed flow conditions to those in physiological flow or stagnant conditions. CFD analysis revealed the generation of disturbed flow within the model, pinpointing the specific location in the channel where the effects of disturbed flow were observed. High-content screening, a single-cell morphological profile assessment, demonstrated that HUVECs in the disturbed flow area exhibited random orientation, and morphological features were significantly distinct compared to cells in the physiological flow or stagnant condition after a two days of flow exposure. Furthermore, HUVECs exposed to disturbed flow underwent extensive remodeling of the adherens junctions and expressed higher levels of endothelial cell activation markers compared to other hemodynamic conditions. In conclusion, our in vitro bypass flow model provides a robust platform for investigating the associations between disturbed flow pattern and vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuotao Xiao
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Rudmer J. Postma
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Anton Jan van Zonneveld
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Bernard M. van den Berg
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Wendy M.P.J. Sol
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Nicholas A. White
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
- Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2628, CN, Netherlands
| | - Huybert J.F. van de Stadt
- Department of Medical Technology, Design & Prototyping, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Asad Mirza
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
| | - Jun Wen
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
| | - Roel Bijkerk
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
| | - Joris I. Rotmans
- Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) and the Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333, ZA, Netherlands
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