Archives of Histology and Cytology
Online ISSN : 1349-1717
Print ISSN : 0914-9465
ISSN-L : 0914-9465
Original articles
Mechanical response of single myoblasts to various stretching patterns visualized by scanning probe microscopy
Waka MitsuiKazushi TamuraTakeomi MizutaniHisashi HagaKazushige Kawabata
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2009 Volume 72 Issue 4+5 Pages 227-234

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Abstract

The mechanical memory effect of single cells was reported in our recent study. In order to clarify this effect, various sequential stimuli of uniaxial deformation were applied to cells by deformable culture dishes and a deformation device, and the local stiffness distribution of single C2C12 myoblasts was visualized by scanning probe microscopy. Following a single step stretching, cellular stiffness first increased steeply and then gradually decreased for two hours. By a single step stretching 30 min after a long pulse-like deformation with a pulse duration of 30 min, the cells responded in the same way. On the other hand, they did not respond to a single step stretching 30 min after a short pulse-like deformation with a pulse duration of 0.5 min. These results indicated that cellular mechanical response to external deformation is affected strongly by a preceding deformation and that the duration time of the preceding deformation is an important factor in the change in mechanical response. We consider that the change in mechanical response contributes to a regulatory mechanism of cellular contractile force.

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© 2009 by International Society of Histology and Cytology
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