Permeabilization of adhered cells using an inert gas jet.

Various cell transfection techniques exist and these can be broken down to three broad categories: viral, chemical and mechanical. This protocol describes a mechanical method to temporally permeabilize adherent cells using an inert gas jet that can facilitate the transfer of normally non-permeable macromolecules into cells. We believe this technique works by imparting shear forces on the plasma membrane of adherent cells, resulting in the temporary formation of micropores.

Statin therapy influences endothelial cell morphology and F-actin cytoskeleton structure when exposed to static and laminar shear stress conditions.

Aims: To determine how statin drugs (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) affect endothelial cell (EC) shape and F-actin cytoskeleton arrangement in the presence of physiologically relevant wall shear stress (WSS) of 12.5dyn/cm(2).

Main Methods: Human abdominal aortic endothelial cells (HAAECs) were cultured to a confluent monolayer within three dimensional tissue culture models and presheared for 6h at 12.

Differential response of endothelial cells to simvastatin when conditioned with steady, non-reversing pulsatile or oscillating shear stress.

Few studies have investigated whether fluid mechanics can impair or enhance endothelial cell response to pharmacological agents such as statin drugs. We evaluated and compared Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and thrombomodulin (TM) expression in human abdominal aortic endothelial cells (HAAEC) treated with increasing simvastatin concentrations (0.1, 1 or 10 μM) under static culture and shear stress (steady, non-reversing pulsatile, and oscillating).