Dhanjoo N. Ghista^1,2, Liang Zhong², Leok P.Chua², Eddie Y-K Ng², Soo T.Lim³, Ru S. Tan³, TerranceS-J Chua³

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 217-234, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.217

Abstract Background: In this paper, the left ventricle (LV) is modeled as a cylinder with myocardial fibers located helically within its wall. A fiber is modeled into myocardial structural units (MSUs); the core entity of each MSU is the sarcomeric contractile element. The relationship between the sarcomere unit's contractile force and shortening velocity is expressed in terms of the LV model's wall stress and deformation, and hence in terms of the monitored LV pressure and volume. Then, the LV systolic performance is investigated in terms of a mechatronic (excitation-contraction) model of the sarcomere unit located within the… More >

S. Deguchi^1,2, T. Ohashi², M. Sato²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 205-216, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.205

Abstract Intracellular stress transmission through subcellular structural components has been proposed to affect activation of localized mechano-sensing sites such as focal adhesions in adherent cells. Previous studies reported that physiological extracellular forces produced heterogeneous spatial distributions of cytoplasmic strain. However, mechanical signaling pathway involved in intracellular force transmission through basal actin stress fibers (SFs), a mechano-responsive cytoskeletal structure, remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated force balance within the basal SFs of cultured smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells by (i) removing the cell membrane and cytoplasmic constituents except for materials physically attaching to the… More >

Morakot Likhitpanichkul¹, X. Edward Guo², Van C. Mow^1,3

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 191-204, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.191

Abstract Thorough analyses of the mechano-electrochemical interaction between articular cartilage matrix and the chondrocytes are crucial to understanding of the signal transduction mechanisms that modulate the cell metabolic activities and biosynthesis. Attempts have been made to model the chondrocytes embedded in the collagen-proteoglycan extracellular matrix to determine the distribution of local stress-strain field, fluid pressure and the time-dependent deformation of the cell. To date, these models still have not taken into account a remarkable characteristic of the cartilage extracellular matrix given rise from organization of the collagen fiber architecture, now known as the tension-compression nonlinearity (TCN)… More >

Cheng Dong^1,2,3, Margaret J. Slattery^2,3, Shile Liang³, Hsin-Hsin Peng²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 145-160, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.145

Abstract Attachment of tumor cells to the endothelium (EC) under flow conditions is critical for the migration of tumor cells out of the vascular system to establish metastases. Innate immune system processes can potentially promote tumor progression through inflammation dependant mechanisms.\nobreakspace {} White blood cells, neutrophils (PMN) in particular, are being studied to better understand how the host immune system affects cancer cell adhesion and subsequent migration and metastasis. Melanoma cell interaction with the EC is distinct from PMN-EC adhesion in the circulation. We found PMN increased melanoma cell extravasation, which involved initial PMN tethering on… More >

A.L. Brock, D.E. Ingber¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 135-144, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.135

Abstract The direction in which cells extend new motile processes, such as lamellipodia and filopodia, can be controlled by altering the geometry of extracellular matrix adhesive islands on which individual cells are cultured, thereby altering mechanical interactions between cells and the adhesive substrate [Parker (2002)]. Here we specifically investigate the intracellular molecular signals that mediate the mechanism by which cells selectively extend these processes from the corners of polygonal-shaped adhesive islands. Constitutive activation of the small GTPase Rac within cells cultured on square-shaped islands of fibronectin resulted in the elimination of preferential extension from corners. This… More >

S. Deguchi^1,2, T. Ohashi², M. Sato²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 125-134, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.125

Abstract Actin bundles in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play a critical role in transmitting intracellular forces between separate focal adhesion sites. However, quantitative descriptions of tension level in single actin bundles in a physiological condition are still poorly studied. Here, we evaluated magnitude of preexisting tension in a single actin bundle of ECs on the basis of measurements of its preexisting stretching strain and tensile properties. Cultured ECs expressing fluorescently-labeled actin were treated with detergents to extract acin bundles. One end of an actin bundle was then dislodged from the substrate by using a microneedle, resulting… More >

S.R.K. Vedula¹, T.S. Lim², P.J. Kausalya³, W. Hunziker³, G. Rajagopal², C.T. Lim^1,4

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 105-124, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.105

Abstract Cell-cell adhesion is an extremely important phenomenon as it influences several biologically important processes such as inflammation, cell migration, proliferation, differentiation and even cancer metastasis. Furthermore, proteins involved in cell-cell adhesion are also important from the perspective of facilitating better drug delivery across epithelia. The adhesion forces imparted by proteins involved in cell-cell adhesion have been the focus of research for sometime. However, with the advent of nanotechnological techniques such as the atomic force microscopy (AFM), we can now quantitatively probe these adhesion forces not only at the cellular but also molecular level. Here, we More >

Cheng Zhu¹, Rodger P. McEver²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 91-104, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.091

Abstract Force can shorten the lifetimes of receptor-ligand bonds by accelerating their dissociation. Perhaps paradoxical at first glance, bond lifetimes can also be prolonged by force. This counterintuitive behavior was named catch bonds, which is in contrast to the ordinary slip bonds that describe the intuitive behavior of lifetimes being shortened by force. Fifteen years after their theoretical proposal, catch bonds have finally been observed. In this article we review recently published data that have demonstrated catch bonds in the selectin system and suggested catch bonds in other systems, the theoretical models for their explanations, and More >

X. Edward Guo¹, Gang Bao¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 87-88, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.087

Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

Yunfa Zhang¹, Zihui Xia^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 213-226, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2005.002.213

Abstract In the present study, the initiation and evolution of the interphase damage and their influences on the global stress-strain relation of composite laminates are predicted by finite element analysis on a micromechanical unit cell model. A thin layer of interphase elements is introduced and its stress-strain relation is derived based on a cohesive law which describes both normal and tangential separations at the interface between the fiber and matrix. In addition, a viscous term is added to the cohesive law to overcome the convergence difficulty induced by the so-called snap-back instability in the numerical analysis. More >