Elastic properties of the forisome

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Warmann ◽  
William F. Pickard ◽  
Amy Q. Shen
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Radial Direction ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Strain Curve ◽  
Longitudinal Direction ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Before And After

Forisomes are elongate Ca2+-responsive contractile protein bodies and act as flow blocking gates within the phloem of legumes. Because an understanding of their mechanical properties in vitro underpins understanding of their physiology in vivo, we undertook, using a microcantilever method, microscopic tensile tests (incremental stress-relaxation measurements) on forisomes from Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC Akanata Mame and Vicia faba L. Witkiem Major. Viscoelastic properties of forisomes in their longitudinal direction were investigated before and after Ca2+-induced contraction, but in the radial direction only before contraction. Forisomes showed mechanical properties typical of a biological material with a unidirectional fibrous structure, i.e. the modulus of elasticity in the direction of their fibers is much greater than in the radial direction. Creep data were collected in all tensile tests and fit with a three parameter viscoelastic model. The pre-contraction longitudinal elastic moduli of the forisomes were not differentiable between the two species (V. faba, 660 ± 360 kPa; C. gladiata, 600 ± 360 kPa). Both species showed a direction-dependent mechanical response: the elastic modulus was dramatically smaller in the radial direction than in the longitudinal direction, suggesting a weak protein cross-linking amongst longitudinal protein fibers. Activation of forisomes decreased forisome stiffness longitudinally, as evidenced by the loss of toe-region in the stress strain curve, suggesting that the forisome may have dispersed or disordered its protein structure in a controlled fashion. Contractile forces generated by single forisomes undergoing activation were also measured for V. faba (510 ± 390 nN) and C. gladiata (570 ± 310 nN).

Corrigendum to: Elastic properties of the forisome

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1053
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Warmann ◽  
William F. Pickard ◽  
Amy Q. Shen
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Radial Direction ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Strain Curve ◽  
Longitudinal Direction ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Before And After

Forisomes are elongate Ca2+-responsive contractile protein bodies and act as flow blocking gates within the phloem of legumes. Because an understanding of their mechanical properties in vitro underpins understanding of their physiology in vivo, we undertook, using a microcantilever method, microscopic tensile tests (incremental stress-relaxation measurements) on forisomes from Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC Akanata Mame and Vicia faba L. Witkiem Major. Viscoelastic properties of forisomes in their longitudinal direction were investigated before and after Ca2+-induced contraction, but in the radial direction only before contraction. Forisomes showed mechanical properties typical of a biological material with a unidirectional fibrous structure, i.e. the modulus of elasticity in the direction of their fibers is much greater than in the radial direction. Creep data were collected in all tensile tests and fit with a three parameter viscoelastic model. The pre-contraction longitudinal elastic moduli of the forisomes were not differentiable between the two species (V. faba, 660���360�kPa; C. gladiata, 600���360�kPa). Both species showed a direction-dependent mechanical response: the elastic modulus was dramatically smaller in the radial direction than in the longitudinal direction, suggesting a weak protein cross-linking amongst longitudinal protein fibers. Activation of forisomes decreased forisome stiffness longitudinally, as evidenced by the loss of toe-region in the stress strain curve, suggesting that the forisome may have dispersed or disordered its protein structure in a controlled fashion. Contractile forces generated by single forisomes undergoing activation were also measured for V. faba (510���390�nN) and C. gladiata (570���310�nN).

scholarly journals Visco- and poroelastic contributions of the zona pellucida to the mechanical response of oocytes

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 751-765
Author(s):  
Alberto Stracuzzi ◽  
Johannes Dittmann ◽  
Markus Böl ◽  
Alexander E. Ehret
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Zona Pellucida ◽  
Fluid Transport ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Structural Response ◽  
Progressive Relaxation ◽  
In Vitro Fertilisation ◽  
Element Analysis

AbstractProbing mechanical properties of cells has been identified as a means to infer information on their current state, e.g. with respect to diseases or differentiation. Oocytes have gained particular interest, since mechanical parameters are considered potential indicators of the success of in vitro fertilisation procedures. Established tests provide the structural response of the oocyte resulting from the material properties of the cell’s components and their disposition. Based on dedicated experiments and numerical simulations, we here provide novel insights on the origin of this response. In particular, polarised light microscopy is used to characterise the anisotropy of the zona pellucida, the outermost layer of the oocyte composed of glycoproteins. This information is combined with data on volumetric changes and the force measured in relaxation/cyclic, compression/indentation experiments to calibrate a multi-phasic hyper-viscoelastic model through inverse finite element analysis. These simulations capture the oocyte’s overall force response, the distinct volume changes observed in the zona pellucida, and the structural alterations interpreted as a realignment of the glycoproteins with applied load. The analysis reveals the presence of two distinct timescales, roughly separated by three orders of magnitude, and associated with a rapid outflow of fluid across the external boundaries and a long-term, progressive relaxation of the glycoproteins, respectively. The new results allow breaking the overall response down into the contributions from fluid transport and the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida and ooplasm. In addition to the gain in fundamental knowledge, the outcome of this study may therefore serve an improved interpretation of the data obtained with current methods for mechanical oocyte characterisation.

Skin Viscoelasticity Under Hypothermic Temperatures

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Xu ◽  
Tianjian Lu
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Thermal Loading ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Skin Tissue ◽  
Skin Area ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Surrounding Healthy Tissue

Advances in electromagnetic technologies have led to recent developments in thermal treatments of diseased and injured skin tissue. These thermal treatment methods normally involve either a raising or lowering of temperature in targeted skin area to kill or thermally denaturize the necrotic cells but without affecting the surrounding, healthy tissue. It is proposed that a detailed understanding of the coupled biological-mechanical response under thermal loading will contribute to the design, characterization and optimization of strategies for delivering better treatments. Since it is technically very difficult to measure experimentally the bio-thermo-mechanical behaviour of skin tissue in physiological conditions, analytical and numerical simulations are used, where the quantification of the skin mechanical properties is an essential step towards building reliable computer simulations. So far, the mechanical properties of the skin tissue under normal physiological conditions have been studied experimentally a lot both in vivo and in vitro. However, little has been done on characterization of the mechanical properties of skin tissue under hypothermic conditions, which will be addressed in this study.

Feasibility of Determination of Mechanical Properties of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms by Simultaneous Pressure and Volume Measurements In-Vivo

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel van ’t Veer ◽  
Marcel C. M. Rutten ◽  
Jaap Buth ◽  
Nico H. J. Pijls ◽  
Frans N. van de Vosse
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Wall Stress ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Aortic Aneurysms ◽  
Wall Material ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Abdominal Aortic ◽  
Risk Of Rupture

In an effort to better predict the risk of rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), methods have been developed that comprise more than diameter information alone. Wall stress calculations demonstrated superior results compared to the diameter criterion [1]. Accurate wall stress calculations require patient specific geometry, load, and wall properties of the aneurysm [2]. Usually, values for mechanical properties obtained from in-vitro tensile tests of excised aneurysmal wall material are used for wall stress calculations [3]. For obvious reasons such experiments to obtain vessel properties are impossible to perform in patient specific cases for risk assessment.

Radiolabeled r-Hirudin as a Measure of Thrombin Activity at, or within, the Rabbit Aorta Wall In Vitro and In Vivo

1994 ◽  
Vol 71 (04) ◽  
pp. 499-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W C Hatton ◽  
Bonnie Ross-Ouellet
Keyword(s):  
Rabbit Aorta ◽  
Balloon Injury ◽  
Recombinant Hirudin ◽  
Aorta Wall ◽  
Thrombin Activity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Matrix

SummaryThe behavior of 125I-labeled recombinant hirudin towards the uninjured and de-endothelialized rabbit aorta wall has been studied in vitro and in vivo to determine its usefulness as an indicator of thrombin activity associated with the aorta wall. Thrombin adsorbed to either sulfopropyl-Sephadex or heparin-Sepharose bound >95% of 125I-r-hirudin and the complex remained bound to the matrix. Binding of 125I-r-hirudin to the exposed aorta subendothelium (intima-media) in vitro was increased substantially if the tissue was pre-treated with thrombin; the quantity of l25I-r-hirudin bound to the de-endothelialized intima-media (i.e. balloon-injured in vitro) correlated positively with the quantity of bound 131I-thrombin (p <0.01). Aortas balloon-injured in vivo were measured for thrombin release from, and binding of 125I-r-hirudin to, the de-endothelialized intimal surface in vitro; 125I-r-hirudin binding correlated with the amount of active thrombin released (p <0.001). Uptake of 125I-r-hirudin by the aorta wall in vivo was proportional to the uptake of 131I-fibrinogen (as an indicator of thrombin activity) before and after balloon injury. After 30 min in the circulation, specific 125I-r-hirudin binding to the uninjured and de-endo- thelialized (at 1.5 h after injury) aorta wall was equivalent to 3.4 (± 2.5) and 25.6 (±18.1) fmol of thrombin/cm2 of intima-media, respectively. Possibly, only hirudin-accessible, glycosaminoglycan-bound thrombin is measured in this way.

scholarly journals miR-146a-5p Promotes Chondrocyte Apoptosis and Inhibits Autophagy of Osteoarthritis by Targeting NUMB

Cartilage ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 194760352110235
Author(s):  
Hongjun Zhang ◽  
Wendi Zheng ◽  
Du Li ◽  
Jia Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Caspase 3 ◽  
Cartilage Tissue ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Chondrocyte Apoptosis ◽  
Knee Cartilage ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Human And Mouse

Objective miR-146a-5p was found to be significantly upregulated in cartilage tissue of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). NUMB was shown to be involved in the autophagy regulation process of cells. We aimed to learn whether NUMB was involved in the apoptosis or autophagy process of chondrocytes in OA and related with miR-146a-5p. Methods QRT-PCR was used to detect miR-146a-5p level in 22 OA cartilage tissues and 22 controls. The targets of miR-146a-5p were analyzed using software and the luciferase reporter experiment. The apoptosis and autophagy, and related proteins were detected in chondrocytes treated with miR-146a-5p mimic/inhibitor or pcDNA3.1-NUMB/si-NUMB and IL-1β, respectively. In vivo experiment, intra-articular injection of miR-146a-5p antagomir/NC was administered at the knee of OA male mice before and after model construction. Chondrocyte apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins were also detected. Results miR-146a-5p was highly expressed in knee cartilage tissue of patients with OA, while NUMB was lowly expressed and negatively regulated by miR-146a-5p. Upregulation of miR-146a-5p can promote cell apoptosis and reduce autophagy of human and mouse chondrocytes by modulating the levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP, Bax, Beclin 1, ATG5, p62, LC3-I, and LC3-II. Increasing the low level of NUMB reversed the effects of miR-146a-5p on chondrocyte apoptosis and autophagy. Intra-articular injection of miR-146a-5p antagomir can also reverse the effects of miR-146a-5p on the apoptosis and autophagy of knee joint chondrocytes in OA mice. Conclusion Downregulation of miR-146a-5p suppresses the apoptosis and promotes autophagy of chondrocytes by targeting NUMB in vivo and in vitro.

scholarly journals Injectable non-leaching tissue-mimetic bottlebrush elastomers as an advanced platform for reconstructive surgery

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erfan Dashtimoghadam ◽  
Farahnaz Fahimipour ◽  
Andrew N. Keith ◽  
Foad Vashahi ◽  
Pavel Popryadukhin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Reconstructive Surgery ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
The Body ◽  
Surrounding Tissue ◽  
Curing Time ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Significant Health

AbstractCurrent materials used in biomedical devices do not match tissue’s mechanical properties and leach various chemicals into the body. These deficiencies pose significant health risks that are further exacerbated by invasive implantation procedures. Herein, we leverage the brush-like polymer architecture to design and administer minimally invasive injectable elastomers that cure in vivo into leachable-free implants with mechanical properties matching the surrounding tissue. This strategy allows tuning curing time from minutes to hours, which empowers a broad range of biomedical applications from rapid wound sealing to time-intensive reconstructive surgery. These injectable elastomers support in vitro cell proliferation, while also demonstrating in vivo implant integrity with a mild inflammatory response and minimal fibrotic encapsulation.

scholarly journals Zn-Containing Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration in Dentistry

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Manuel Toledano ◽  
Marta Vallecillo-Rivas ◽  
María T. Osorio ◽  
Esther Muñoz-Soto ◽  
Manuel Toledano-Osorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Bone Regeneration ◽  
Bone Healing ◽  
Bone Repair ◽  
Complex Modulus ◽  
Bacterial Colonization ◽  
Guided Bone Regeneration ◽  
M2 Macrophage

Barrier membranes are employed in guided bone regeneration (GBR) to facilitate bone in-growth. A bioactive and biomimetic Zn-doped membrane with the ability to participate in bone healing and regeneration is necessary. The aim of the present study is to state the effect of doping the membranes for GBR with zinc compounds in the improvement of bone regeneration. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases, such as PubMed, MEDLINE, DIMDI, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. A narrative exploratory review was undertaken, focusing on the antibacterial effects, physicochemical and biological properties of Zn-loaded membranes. Bioactivity, bone formation and cytotoxicity were analyzed. Microstructure and mechanical properties of these membranes were also determined. Zn-doped membranes have inhibited in vivo and in vitro bacterial colonization. Zn-alloy and Zn-doped membranes attained good biocompatibility and were found to be non-toxic to cells. The Zn-doped matrices showed feasible mechanical properties, such as flexibility, strength, complex modulus and tan delta. Zn incorporation in polymeric membranes provided the highest regenerative efficiency for bone healing in experimental animals, potentiating osteogenesis, angiogenesis, biological activity and a balanced remodeling. Zn-loaded membranes doped with SiO2 nanoparticles have performed as bioactive modulators provoking an M2 macrophage increase and are a potential biomaterial for promoting bone repair. Zn-doped membranes have promoted pro-healing phenotypes.

scholarly journals Fibronectin Adsorption on Electrospun Synthetic Vascular Grafts Attracts Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Promotes Endothelialization in Dynamic In Vitro Culture

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben Daum ◽  
Dmitri Visser ◽  
Constanze Wild ◽  
Larysa Kutuzova ◽  
Maria Schneider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Progenitor ◽  
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product ◽  
Endothelial Colony Forming Cells ◽  
Advanced Therapy ◽  
Custom Made

Appropriate mechanical properties and fast endothelialization of synthetic grafts are key to ensure long-term functionality of implants. We used a newly developed biostable polyurethane elastomer (TPCU) to engineer electrospun vascular scaffolds with promising mechanical properties (E-modulus: 4.8 ± 0.6 MPa, burst pressure: 3326 ± 78 mmHg), which were biofunctionalized with fibronectin (FN) and decorin (DCN). Neither uncoated nor biofunctionalized TPCU scaffolds induced major adverse immune responses except for minor signs of polymorph nuclear cell activation. The in vivo endothelial progenitor cell homing potential of the biofunctionalized scaffolds was simulated in vitro by attracting endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). Although DCN coating did attract ECFCs in combination with FN (FN + DCN), DCN-coated TPCU scaffolds showed a cell-repellent effect in the absence of FN. In a tissue-engineering approach, the electrospun and biofunctionalized tubular grafts were cultured with primary-isolated vascular endothelial cells in a custom-made bioreactor under dynamic conditions with the aim to engineer an advanced therapy medicinal product. Both FN and FN + DCN functionalization supported the formation of a confluent and functional endothelial layer.

scholarly journals Detection of Anthrax Toxin in the Serum of Animals Infected with Bacillus anthracis by Using Engineered Immunoassays

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 671-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Mabry ◽  
Kathleen Brasky ◽  
Robert Geiger ◽  
Ricardo Carrion ◽  
Gene B. Hubbard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
Anthrax Toxin ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Before And After

ABSTRACT Several strategies that target anthrax toxin are being developed as therapies for infection by Bacillus anthracis. Although the action of the tripartite anthrax toxin has been extensively studied in vitro, relatively little is known about the presence of toxins during an infection in vivo. We developed a series of sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detection of both the protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF) components of the anthrax exotoxin in serum. The assays utilize as capture agents an engineered high-affinity antibody to PA, a soluble form of the extracellular domain of the anthrax toxin receptor (ANTXR2/CMG2), or PA itself. Sandwich immunoassays were used to detect and quantify PA and LF in animals infected with the Ames or Vollum strains of anthrax spores. PA and LF were detected before and after signs of toxemia were observed, with increasing levels reported in the late stages of the infection. These results represent the detection of free PA and LF by ELISA in the systemic circulation of two animal models exposed to either of the two fully virulent strains of anthrax. Simple anthrax toxin detection ELISAs could prove useful in the evaluation of potential therapies and possibly as a clinical diagnostic to complement other strategies for the rapid identification of B. anthracis infection.

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