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Title: Effect of Age and Cytoskeletal Elements on the Indentation-Dependent Mechanical Properties of Chondrocytes

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4]
  1. Hofstra Univ. Manhasset, NY (United States). Hofstra North Shore LIJ. School of Medicine. The Feinstein Inst. for Medical Research
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Physical and Life Sciences Directorate. Biosciences and Biotechnology Division
  3. Univ. of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA (United States). Medical Center. Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery. Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center
  4. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Physical and Life Sciences Directorate. Biosciences and Biotechnology Division; Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States). School of Natural Sciences

Articular cartilage chondrocytes are responsible for the synthesis, maintenance, and turnover of the extracellular matrix, metabolic processes that contribute to the mechanical properties of these cells. Here, we systematically evaluated the effect of age and cytoskeletal disruptors on the mechanical properties of chondrocytes as a function of deformation. We quantified the indentation-dependent mechanical properties of chondrocytes isolated from neonatal (1-day), adult (5-year) and geriatric (12-year) bovine knees using atomic force microscopy (AFM). We also measured the contribution of the actin and intermediate filaments to the indentation-dependent mechanical properties of chondrocytes. By integrating AFM with confocal fluorescent microscopy, we monitored cytoskeletal and biomechanical deformation in transgenic cells (GFPvimentin and mCherry-actin) under compression. We found that the elastic modulus of chondrocytes in all age groups decreased with increased indentation (15–2000 nm). The elastic modulus of adult chondrocytes was significantly greater than neonatal cells at indentations greater than 500 nm. Viscoelastic moduli (instantaneous and equilibrium) were comparable in all age groups examined; however, the intrinsic viscosity was lower in geriatric chondrocytes than neonatal. Disrupting the actin or the intermediate filament structures altered the mechanical properties of chondrocytes by decreasing the elastic modulus and viscoelastic properties, resulting in a dramatic loss of indentation-dependent response with treatment. Actin and vimentin cytoskeletal structures were monitored using confocal fluorescent microscopy in transgenic cells treated with disruptors, and both treatments had a profound disruptive effect on the actin filaments. Here we show that disrupting the structure of intermediate filaments indirectly altered the configuration of the actin cytoskeleton. These findings underscore the importance of the cytoskeletal elements in the overall mechanical response of chondrocytes, indicating that intermediate filament integrity is key to the non-linear elastic properties of chondrocytes. This study improves our understanding of the mechanical properties of articular cartilage at the single cell level.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1627600
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Vol. 8, Issue 4; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (7)

Experimental study of the difference in deformation between normal and pathological, renal and bladder, cells induced by acoustic radiation force journal January 2020
Deformability of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Is Dependent on Vimentin Intermediate Filaments journal January 2017
Effects of Osmolarity on the Spontaneous Calcium Signaling of In Situ Juvenile and Adult Articular Chondrocytes journal July 2015
The intrinsic stiffness of human trabecular meshwork cells increases with senescence journal April 2015
Proteome Alterations in Equine Osteochondrotic Chondrocytes journal December 2019
Effects of Inflammation on Multiscale Biomechanical Properties of Cartilaginous Cells and Tissues journal March 2017
Effects of mechanical stress on chondrocyte phenotype and chondrocyte extracellular matrix expression journal November 2016

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