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Novel method to study pericyte contractility and responses to ischaemia in vitro using electrical impedance

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 00:34 authored by Neuhaus, AA, Couch, Y, Brad SutherlandBrad Sutherland, Buchan, AM
Pericytes are contractile vascular mural cells overlying capillary endothelium, and they have been implicated in a variety of functions including regulation of cerebral blood flow. Recent work has suggested that both in vivo and ex vivo, ischaemia causes pericytes to constrict and die, which has implications for microvascular reperfusion. Assessing pericyte contractility in tissue slices and in vivo is technically challenging, while in vitro techniques remain unreliable. Here, we used isolated cultures of human brain vascular pericytes to examine their contractile potential in vitro using the iCelligence electrical impedance system. Contraction was induced using the vasoactive peptide endothelin-1, and relaxation was demonstrated using adenosine and sodium nitroprusside. Endothelin-1 treatment also resulted in increased proliferation, which we were able to monitor in the same cell population from which we recorded contractile responses. Finally, the observation of pericyte contraction in stroke was reproduced using chemical ischaemia, which caused a profound and irreversible contraction clearly preceding cell death. These data demonstrate that isolated pericytes retain a contractile phenotype in vitro, and that it is possible to quantify this contraction using real-time electrical impedance recordings, providing a significant new platform for assessing the effects of vasoactive and vasculoprotective compounds on pericyte contractility.

History

Publication title

Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism

Volume

37

Issue

6

Pagination

2013-2024

ISSN

0271-678X

Department/School

Tasmanian School of Medicine

Publisher

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Place of publication

United States

Rights statement

Copyright 2016 the Author(s)

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the health sciences

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