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Cyclic mechanical strain induces TGFβ1-signalling in dermal fibroblasts embedded in a 3D collagen lattice

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Abstract

Many tissues are constantly exposed to mechanical stress, e.g. shear stress in vascular endothelium, compression forces in cartilage or tensile strain in the skin. Dermal fibroblasts can differentiate into contractile myofibroblasts in a process requiring the presence of TGFβ1 in addition to mechanical load. We aimed at investigating the effect of cyclic mechanical strain on dermal fibroblasts grown in a three-dimensional environment. Therefore, murine dermal fibroblasts were cultured in collagen gels and subjected to cyclic tension at a frequency of 0.1 Hz (6 cycles/min) with a maximal increase in surface area of 10 % for 24 h. This treatment resulted in a significant increase in active TGFβ1 levels, leaving the amount of total TGFβ1 unaffected. TGFβ1 activation led to pSMAD2-mediated transcriptional elevation of downstream mediators, such as CTGF, and an auto-induction of TGFβ1, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Gabriele Scherr for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through SFB 829 (to BE and TK) and KR 558/14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Andreas S. Peters

  2. Department of Cancer Research, Fachklinik Hornheide, Münster, Germany

    Georg Brunner

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Thomas Krieg & Beate Eckes

Authors
  1. Andreas S. Peters
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  2. Georg Brunner
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  3. Thomas Krieg
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  4. Beate Eckes
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Correspondence to Andreas S. Peters.

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Peters, A.S., Brunner, G., Krieg, T. et al. Cyclic mechanical strain induces TGFβ1-signalling in dermal fibroblasts embedded in a 3D collagen lattice. Arch Dermatol Res 307, 191–197 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-014-1514-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-014-1514-2

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