Temporal effects of cyclic stretching on distribution and gene expression of integrin and cytoskeleton by ligament fibroblasts in vitro.

Cyclic stretching is pivotal to maintenance of the ligaments. However, it is still not clear when ligament fibroblasts switch on expression of genes related to the mechanotransduction pathway in response to cyclic stretching. This in vitro study investigated, using ligament fibroblasts, the time-dependent changes in distribution and gene expression of beta1 integrin, the cytoskeleton, and collagens after the application of 6% cyclic stretching at a frequency of 0.