An Innovative Assay for the Analysis of In Vitro Endothelial Remodeling: Experimental and Computational Evidence. Issue 2 (30th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scianna, Marco; Bassino, Eleonora; Munaron, Luca
• Is Part Of: Journal of cellular physiology. Volume 232:Issue 2(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 243
• Page End: 248
• Publication Date: 2016-06-30
• Subjects: Physiology -- Periodicals; Cell physiology -- Periodicals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25468
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9541

Abstract

Abstract : The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying vascular remodeling are currently investigated by experimental strategies which aim to mimic the complex environmental conditions found in vivo. Some of them focus on the tubulogenic activity of dispersed endothelial cell populations, while others evaluate vascular sprouting. Here we propose a new method to assess matrigel invasion starting from confluent or subconfluent monolayers of human microvascular ECs (HMVEC) seeded on different substrates. The experimental setting is also validated by an improved hybrid multiscale mathematical approach, which integrates a mesoscopic grid‐based cellular Potts model, that describes HMVEC phenomenology, with a continuous one, accounting for the kinetics of diffusing growth factors. Both experimental and theoretical approaches show that the endothelial potential to invade, migrate, and organize in tubule structures is a function of selected environmental parameters. The present methodology is intended to be simple to use, standardized for rapid screening and suitable for mechanistic studies. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 243–248, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Abstract : An Ibidi‐based assay is used to assess microvascular endothelial remodeling. The angiogenic potential of layers of HMVEC depends on their confluence condition. The angiogenic potential of layers of HMVEC depends on culture medium enrichment. In the case of Endogro medium, HMVEC tubulogenic activity is inhibited by gelatin. The experimental results are validated by a cellular Potts mathematical approach.