2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Control of endothelial cell mechanics and blood vessels remodeling by blood flow
| Project/Area Number |
22H02624
|
|---|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
Phng LiKun 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, チームリーダー (70794098)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
|
| Keywords | Endothelial cell / Actin cytoskeleton / Mechanobiology / Hemodynamic forces / Blood vessel remodelling |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
To understand how changes in haemodynamic forces affect the actin cytoskeleton in endothelial cells (ECs) in a living animal, we have established high resolution confocal imaging and analysis of actin organization in the zebrafish. With this methodology, we discovered that ECs generate different actin organization - circumferential, mesh and longitudinal - when subjected to normal levels of physiological flow. Upon increasing haemodynamic forces by increasing heart rate using isoprenaline, we observed an increase in mesh actin formation in ECs. We have also developed a 3D computational fluid dynamics model to calculate wall shear stress and luminal pressure that ECs are subjected.
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
We encountered technical difficulties in developing the 3D computational fluid dynamics model in the zebrafish.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We plan to correlate actin organization with the size of local wall shear stress and blood pressure that ECs are subjected more quantitatively by implementating 3D computational fluid dynamics modelling.
|
