Analyzing shear stress-induced alignment of actin filaments in endothelial cells with a microfluidic assay.

The physiology of vascular endothelial cells is strongly affected by fluid shear stress on their surface. In this study, a microfluidic assay was employed to analyze the alignment of actin filaments in endothelial cells in response to shear stress. When cells were cultured in microfluidic channels and subjected to shear stress, the alignment of filaments in the channel direction was significantly higher than in static cultures. By adding inhibitory drugs, the roles of several signaling proteins in the process of alignment were determined. Thus, it is shown how microfluidic technology can be employed to provide a mechanistic insight into cell physiology.