Tensile behaviour of fibroblasts cultured in collagen gel.

An in vitro morphological study on the relation of the stress field and the orientation of cells with the use of the time lapse video recording system was carried out. Specimens of thin collagen gel membrane, within which cells are proliferating, were examined under various mechanical conditions. Cell stretching, cell orientation, cell migration, cell proliferation and generation of tensile stress in collagen gel were recorded. It was demonstrated that fibroblasts generate tension and change their orientation along the tensile direction. A hypothetical mechanism for such phenomena is proposed, that is, fibroblasts generate tension and make tense collagen fibres, then cells stretch themselves along the tense fibres and increase tension in this direction. Thus, this mechanism works as a positive feedback loop which enables cells to make tensile stresses and align along them in accordance with the mechanical environment.