1
|
Nishimura W, Takayanagi Y, Tumurkhuu M, Zhou R, Miki H, Noda Y. Effect of long-term confinement on metabolic and physiological parameters in mice. Physiol Behav 2021; 234:113386. [PMID: 33713694 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Long-term and mild confinement or isolation in an enclosed environment can occur in situations such as disasters, specific political, economic or social events, nuclear shelters, seabed exploration, polar expeditions, and space travel. To investigate the effects of stress caused by long-term confinement in an enclosed environment in mammals, we divided 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice into four groups that were housed in a closed environment with a narrow metabolic cage (stress group), normal metabolic cage (control group), conventional cage (conventional group) or conventional cage with wire mesh floor (wire mesh group). The phenotypes of the mice were examined for four weeks, followed by behavioral tests. Weight gain suppression was observed in the stress group. Continuous analysis of these mice every two minutes for four weeks using an implanted measuring device showed a significantly decreased amount of spontaneous activity and subcutaneous temperature in the stress group. After housing in each environment for four weeks, the behavioral tests of mice in the stress group also revealed a shorter latency to fall off in the rotarod test and shorter stride length and interstep distance in the footprint test. Interestingly, the lower spontaneous activity of mice in the stress group was rescued by housing in conventional cages. These results suggest a temporary effect of long-term confinement in an enclosed environment as a chronic and mild stress on homeostasis in mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Nishimura
- Department of Molecular Biology, International University of Health and Welfare School of Medicine, 4-3 Kozunomori, Narita, Chiba, Japan; Division of Anatomy, Bio-imaging and Neuro-cell Science, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
| | - Yuki Takayanagi
- Division of Brain and Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Munkhtuya Tumurkhuu
- Department of Molecular Biology, International University of Health and Welfare School of Medicine, 4-3 Kozunomori, Narita, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ruyun Zhou
- Division of Anatomy, Bio-imaging and Neuro-cell Science, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Harukata Miki
- Division of Anatomy, Bio-imaging and Neuro-cell Science, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yasuko Noda
- Division of Anatomy, Bio-imaging and Neuro-cell Science, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Griffith CM, Huang SA, Cho C, Khare TM, Rich M, Lee GH, Ligler FS, Diekman BO, Polacheck WJ. Microfluidics for the study of mechanotransduction. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D: APPLIED PHYSICS 2020; 53:224004. [PMID: 33840837 PMCID: PMC8034607 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ab78d4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical forces regulate a diverse set of biological processes at cellular, tissue, and organismal length scales. Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the conversion of mechanical forces to biological responses is challenged by limitations of traditional animal models and in vitro cell culture, including poor control over applied force and highly artificial cell culture environments. Recent advances in fabrication methods and material processing have enabled the development of microfluidic platforms that provide precise control over the mechanical microenvironment of cultured cells. These devices and systems have proven to be powerful for uncovering and defining mechanisms of mechanotransduction. In this review, we first give an overview of the main mechanotransduction pathways that function at sites of cell adhesion, many of which have been investigated with microfluidics. We then discuss how distinct microfluidic fabrication methods can be harnessed to gain biological insight, with description of both monolithic and replica molding approaches. Finally, we present examples of how microfluidics can be used to apply both solid forces (substrate mechanics, strain, and compression) and fluid forces (luminal, interstitial) to cells. Throughout the review, we emphasize the advantages and disadvantages of different fabrication methods and applications of force in order to provide perspective to investigators looking to apply forces to cells in their own research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian M Griffith
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Stephanie A Huang
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Crescentia Cho
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Tanmay M Khare
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Matthew Rich
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Gi-Hun Lee
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Frances S Ligler
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Brian O Diekman
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - William J Polacheck
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
- Cancer Cell Biology Program, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Doolin MT, Moriarty RA, Stroka KM. Mechanosensing of Mechanical Confinement by Mesenchymal-Like Cells. Front Physiol 2020; 11:365. [PMID: 32390868 PMCID: PMC7193100 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and tumor cells have the unique capability to migrate out of their native environment and either home or metastasize, respectively, through extremely heterogeneous environments to a distant location. Once there, they can either aid in tissue regrowth or impart an immunomodulatory effect in the case of MSCs, or form secondary tumors in the case of tumor cells. During these journeys, cells experience physically confining forces that impinge on the cell body and the nucleus, ultimately causing a multitude of cellular changes. Most drastically, confining individual MSCs within hydrogels or confining monolayers of MSCs within agarose wells can sway MSC lineage commitment, while applying a confining compressive stress to metastatic tumor cells can increase their invasiveness. In this review, we seek to understand the signaling cascades that occur as cells sense confining forces and how that translates to behavioral changes, including elongated and multinucleated cell morphologies, novel migrational mechanisms, and altered gene expression, leading to a unique MSC secretome that could hold great promise for anti-inflammatory treatments. Through comparison of these altered behaviors, we aim to discern how MSCs alter their lineage selection, while tumor cells may become more aggressive and invasive. Synthesizing this information can be useful for employing MSCs for therapeutic approaches through systemic injections or tissue engineered grafts, and developing improved strategies for metastatic cancer therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary T. Doolin
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Rebecca A. Moriarty
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Kimberly M. Stroka
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
The Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal is awarded to an individual Genetics Society of America member for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics. It recognizes the full body of work of an exceptional geneticist. The 2016 recipient is Nancy Kleckner, who has made many significant contributions to our understanding of chromosomes and the mechanisms of inheritance. Kleckner has made seminal achievements in several different research areas, including bacterial transposition, chromosome organization, and meiosis. She has repeatedly combined traditional genetic approaches with molecular biology, microscopy, physics, and modeling-unprecedented applications of these methods at the time, but which have now become commonplace. Indeed, she is widely recognized as one of the leaders in bringing meiosis research into the modern era. Notably, her laboratory played a key role in elucidating the mechanism that initiates meiotic recombination, has helped to decipher the "strand gymnastics" of recombination, and is beginning to provide insight into the enigmatic phenomenon of crossover interference.
Collapse
|