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Liu M, Samant S, Vasa CH, Pedrigi RM, Oguz UM, Ryu S, Wei T, Anderson DR, Agrawal DK, Chatzizisis YS. Co-culture models of endothelial cells, macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells for the study of the natural history of atherosclerosis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280385. [PMID: 36662769 PMCID: PMC9858056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This work aims to present a fast, affordable, and reproducible three-cell co-culture system that could represent the different cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, extending from atherogenesis to pathological intimal thickening. METHODS AND RESULTS We built four culture models: (i) Culture model #1 (representing normal arterial intima), where human coronary artery endothelial cells were added on top of Matrigel-coated collagen type I matrix, (ii) Culture model #2 (representing atherogenesis), which demonstrated the subendothelial accumulation and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), (iii) Culture model #3 (representing intimal xanthomas), which demonstrated the monocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell monolayer, transmigration into the subendothelial space, and transformation to lipid-laden macrophages, (iv) Culture model #4 (representing pathological intimal thickening), which incorporated multiple layers of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells within the matrix. Coupling this model with different shear stress conditions revealed the effect of low shear stress on the oxidative modification of LDL and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and matrix-degrading enzymes. Using electron microscopy, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, protein and mRNA quantification assays, we showed that the behaviors exhibited by the endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells in these models were very similar to those exhibited by these cell types in nascent and intermediate atherosclerotic plaques in humans. The preparation time of the cultures was 24 hours. CONCLUSION We present three-cell co-culture models of human atherosclerosis. These models have the potential to allow cost- and time-effective investigations of the mechanobiology of atherosclerosis and new anti-atherosclerotic drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Liu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Saurabhi Samant
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Charu Hasini Vasa
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Ryan M. Pedrigi
- Department of Biological System Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Usama M. Oguz
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Sangjin Ryu
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Timothy Wei
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Anderson
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Devendra K. Agrawal
- Department of Translational Research, Western University of Health Science, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Yiannis S. Chatzizisis
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
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Ersland E, Ebrahim N, Mwizerwa O, Oba T, Oku K, Nishino M, Hikimoto D, Miyoshi H, Tomotoshi K, Rahmanian O, Ekwueme E, Neville C, Sundback C. Human Vascular Wall Microfluidic Model for Preclinical Evaluation of Drug-Induced Vascular Injury. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2022; 28:83-92. [PMID: 35114818 PMCID: PMC9022170 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2021.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced vascular injury (DIVI) in preclinical animal models often leads to candidate compound termination during drug development. DIVI has not been documented in human clinical trials with drugs that cause DIVI in preclinical animals. A robust human preclinical assay for DIVI is needed as an early vascular injury screen. A human vascular wall microfluidic tissue chip was developed with a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)-umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (vascular smooth muscle cell, VSMC) bilayer matured under physiological shear stress. Optimized temporal flow profiles produced HUVEC-VSMC bilayers with quiescent endothelial cell (EC) monolayers, EC tight junctions, and contractile VSMC morphology. Dose-response testing (3-30 μM concentration) was conducted with minoxidil and tadalafil vasodilators. Both drugs have demonstrated preclinical DIVI but lack clinical evidence. The permeability of severely damaged engineered bilayers (30 μM tadalafil) was 4.1 times that of the untreated controls. Immunohistochemical protein assays revealed contrasting perspectives on tadalafil and minoxidil-induced damage. Tadalafil impacted the endothelial monolayer with minor injury to the contractile VSMCs, whereas minoxidil demonstrated minor EC barrier injury but damaged VSMCs and activated ECs in a dose-response manner. This proof-of-concept human vascular wall bilayer model of DIVI is a critical step toward developing a preclinical human screening assay for drug development. Impact statement More than 90% of drug candidates fail during clinical trials due to human efficacy and toxicity concerns. Preclinical studies rely heavily on animal models, although animal toxicity and drug metabolism responses often differ from humans. During the drug development process, perfused in vitro human tissue chips could model the clinical drug response and potential toxicity of candidate compounds. Our long-term objective is to develop a human vascular wall tissue chip to screen for drug-induced vascular injury. Its application could ultimately reduce drug development delays and costs, and improve patient safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ersland
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Neven Ebrahim
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Olive Mwizerwa
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Takahiro Oba
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keisuke Oku
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masafumi Nishino
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Daichi Hikimoto
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hayato Miyoshi
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kimihiko Tomotoshi
- Bioscience and Engineering Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Omid Rahmanian
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emmanuel Ekwueme
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Craig Neville
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cathryn Sundback
- Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Address correspondence to: Cathryn Sundback, ScD, Department of Surgery, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 01451, USA
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Ringenberg H, Rogers D, Wei N, Krane M, Wei T. Phase-averaged and cycle-to-cycle analysis of jet dynamics in a scaled up vocal-fold model. JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS 2021; 918:A44. [PMID: 34737460 PMCID: PMC8562556 DOI: 10.1017/jfm.2021.365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Phase-averaged and cycle-to-cycle analysis of key contributors to sound production in phonation is examined in a scaled-up vocal-fold model. Simultaneous temporally and spatially resolved pressure and velocity measurements permitted examination of each term in the streamwise integral momentum equation. The relative sizes of these terms were used to address the issue of whether transglottal pressure is a surrogate for vocal-fold drag, a quantity directly related to sound production. Further, time traces of transglottal pressure and volume flow rate provided insight into the role of cycle-to-cycle variations in voiced sound production which affect voice quality. Experiments were conducted using a 10× scaled-up model in a free-surface water tunnel. Two-dimensional vocal-fold models with semi-circular ends inside a square duct were driven with constant opening and closing speeds. The time from opening to closed, To , was half the oscillation period. Time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and pressure measurements along the duct centreline were made for 3650 ≤ Re ≤ 8100 and equivalent life frequencies from 52.5 to 97.5 Hz. Results showed that transglottal pressure does serve as a surrogate for the vocal-fold drag. However, smaller but non-negligible momentum flux and inertia terms, caused by the jet and vocal-fold motions, may also contribute to vocal-fold drag. Further, cycle-to-cycle variations including jet switching and modulation are inherent in flows of this type despite their high degrees of symmetry and repeatability. The origins of these variations and their potential role in sound production and voice quality are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Ringenberg
- Mechanical & Materials Eng’g, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Dylan Rogers
- Mechanical & Materials Eng’g, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Nathaniel Wei
- Mechanical & Materials Eng’g, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Michael Krane
- Applied Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University,
State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Timothy Wei
- Mechanical & Materials Eng’g, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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Silvani G, Romanov V, Cox CD, Martinac B. Biomechanical Characterization of Endothelial Cells Exposed to Shear Stress Using Acoustic Force Spectroscopy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:612151. [PMID: 33614612 PMCID: PMC7891662 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.612151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing mechanical properties of cells is important for understanding many cellular processes, such as cell movement, shape, and growth, as well as adaptation to changing environments. In this study, we explore the mechanical properties of endothelial cells that form the biological barrier lining blood vessels, whose dysfunction leads to development of many cardiovascular disorders. Stiffness of living endothelial cells was determined by Acoustic Force Spectroscopy (AFS), by pull parallel multiple functionalized microspheres located at the cell-cell periphery. The unique configuration of the acoustic microfluidic channel allowed us to develop a long-term dynamic culture protocol exposing cells to laminar flow for up to 48 h, with shear stresses in the physiological range (i.e., 6 dyn/cm2). Two different Endothelial cells lines, Human Aortic Endothelial Cells (HAECs) and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs), were investigated to show the potential of this tool to capture the change in cellular mechanical properties during maturation of a confluent endothelial monolayer. Immunofluorescence microscopy was exploited to follow actin filament rearrangement and junction formation over time. For both cell types we found that the application of shear-stress promotes the typical phenotype of a mature endothelium expressing a linear pattern of VE-cadherin at the cell-cell border and actin filament rearrangement along the perimeter of Endothelial cells. A staircase-like sequence of increasing force steps, ranging from 186 pN to 3.5 nN, was then applied in a single measurement revealing the force-dependent apparent stiffness of the membrane cortex in the kPa range. We also found that beads attached to cells cultured under dynamic conditions were harder to displace than cells cultured under static conditions, showing a stiffer membrane cortex at cell periphery. All together these results demonstrate that the AFS can identify changes in cell mechanics based on force measurements of adherent cells under conditions mimicking their native microenvironment, thus revealing the shear stress dependence of the mechanical properties of neighboring endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Silvani
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Charles D. Cox
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Ben-Saadon S, Gavriel M, Zaretsky U, Jaffa AJ, Grisaru D, Elad D. Tissue-engineered arterial intima model exposed to steady wall shear stresses. J Biomech 2021; 117:110236. [PMID: 33508722 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The arterial intima is continuously under pulsatile wall shear stresses (WSS) imposed by the circulating blood. The knowledge of the contribution of smooth muscle cells (SMC) to the response of endothelial cell (EC) to WSS is still incomplete. We developed a co-culture model of EC on top of SMC that mimics the inner in vivo structure of the arterial intima of large arteries. The co-cultured model, as well as a monolayer model of EC, were developed in custom-designed wells that allowed for mechanobiology experiments. Both the monolayer and co-culture models were exposed to steady flow induced WSS of up to 24 dyne/cm2 and for lengths of 60 min. Quantification of WSS induced alterations in the cytoskeletal actin filaments (F-actin) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) junctions were utilized from confocal images and flow cytometry. High confluency of both models was observed even after exposure to the high WSS. The quantitive analysis revealed larger post WSS amounts of EC F-actin polymerization in the monolayer, which may be explained by the relative help of the SMC to resist the external load of WSS. The VE-cadherin demonstrated morphological alterations in the monolayer model, but without significant changes in their content. The SMC in the co-culture maintained their contractile phenotype post high WSS which is more physiological, but not post low WSS. Generally, the results of this work demonstrate the active role of SMC in the intima performance to resist flow induced WSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ben-Saadon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Mark Gavriel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Uri Zaretsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ariel J Jaffa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dan Grisaru
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David Elad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
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