Introduction and Objective: Of the many complications of diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the deadliest. In many studies, hyperglycemia has been shown to cause endothelial cell dysfunction. While there are numerous studies which elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which hyperglycemia affects the vasculature, few studies have investigated how hyperglycemia affects the mechanical function of the vasculature. We hypothesized hyperglycemia would increase the biomechanical response of endothelial cells.Methods: Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were cultured on 1.2 kPa polyacrylamide gels in Medium 200 & Large Vessel Endothelial Supplement (LVES) containing either a standard glucose (5.0 mM) or high glucose concentration (25 mM) for 24 hours. To determine the biomechanical response after 24-hour exposure, we used traction force microscopy to measure cell-substrate contractile forces (tractions).Results: Cells cultured in high glucose media had average tractions that were 21% higher than cells cultured in standard glucose media.Conclusion: A glucose concentration of 25 mM (hyperglycemia) increased endothelial contractile forces compared to control. This change in contractile forces shows there are biomechanical changes occurring in addition to the often-reported molecular changes that occur in endothelial cells after high glucose exposure. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanism by which the endothelial cells increase their tractions after exposure to high glucose.
A.Y. Feldman: None. S. Scheller: None. R. Steward: None.
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