Substrate Stiffness Regulates Proinflammatory Mediator Production through TLR4 Activity in Macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Clinical data show that disease adversely affects tissue elasticity or stiffness. While macrophage activity plays a critical role in driving disease pathology, there are limited data available on the effects of tissue stiffness on macrophage activity. In this study, the effects of substrate stiffness on inflammatory mediator production by macrophages were investigated. Bone marrow-derived macrophages were grown on polyacrylamide gels that mimicked the stiffness of a variety of soft biological tissues. Overall, macrophages grown on soft substrates produced less proinflammatory mediators than macrophages grown on stiff substrates when the endotoxin LPS was added to media. In addition, the pathways involved in stiffness-regulated proinflammation were investigated. The TLR4 signaling pathway w

SUBMITTER: Previtera ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4692401 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature