Abstract
We investigated the effects of nuclear deformation on the physiological function of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfabricated substrates with an array of micropillars. SMCs spread normally in the space between micropillars and completely invaded the extracellular microstructures, including parts of their cytoplasm and their nuclei. We found that not only the proliferation and migration of SMCs but also their contractile protein expression was dramatically inhibited by cultivation on the micropillar substrates. A detailed image analysis with confocal microscopy revealed that expression of lamin A/C was significantly decreased in the region deforming along the pillar surfaces, and underlying DNA distribution became more heterogeneous. These results may indicate that lamin A/C has a role of mechanosensor to detect an excessive deformation of nucleus, and they switch the cell state from an "active phase" to a "resting phase".
