Growth characteristics of skin fibroblasts and 3T3 cells entrapped by polymerizing fibrin

Skin fibroblasts as well as 3T3 cells were cultured after entrapping freshly prepared cells in medium containing polymerizing fibrin. In contrast to cells grown on plastic substratum, fibrin-clot-cultured cells became highly elongated forming strands of cells. The strands interconnected by lateral cellular protrusions so that horizontal networks of cells were present throughout the clots. Cell growth as well as stretching were dependent upon the concentrations of fibrin. Highest growth rates were obtained with low fibrin concentrations (0.3 mg fibrinogen per ml). As shown by deprivation experiments nutritional limitations appear to be responsible for differences in growth rates observed in fibrin clots of higher density. In this system the fibrin meshwork serves as substratum for adhesion, elongation and multiplication of fibroblasts. The method makes it possible to study single cells in culture and the effects of persistent microenvironmental influences.     

Role of plasminogen, plasmin, and plasminogen activators in the migration of fibroblasts into plasma clots

Human diploid fibroblasts were seeded onto or into plasma clots and different aspects of cell adhesion and migration were measured. The roles of plasminogen activators and plasmin were studied by either the removal of plasminogen from plasma prior to clotting or by the addition of 10 mM epsilon-aminocaproic acid, which brings about an inhibition of plasmin in this system. When cells were seeded onto the surface of plasma clots, rates of attachment, spreading, and migration were unaffected by plasminogen depletion or plasmin inhibition. In contrast, when cells were seeded into plasma clots, then, although the rates of cells spreading were unaffected, cell migration was abolished by plasminogen depletion or by plasmin inhibition. When cells were seeded onto the surface of plasma clots and the rate of migration into the clots was measured, there was an absolute requirement for plasmin activity; while fibroblasts migrated rapidly into the fibrin lattice of control clots, in the case of plasminogen-depleted clots, cells failed to penetrate the lattice. Focussing through a plasma clot revealed that fibroblasts do not migrate through the fibrin lattice but instead, localized areas of fibrinolysis are generated and cells migrate over the surface of the area of lysis.     

Plasminogen activation and lysis of blood clots induced by cells in vitro

When human diploid fibroblasts were seeded onto the surface of blood clots, lysis of the clot occurred as a result of the release of cellular plasminogen activator. A number of aspects of this lysis were studied. 1. There was no significant difference in rates of lysis of whole blood clots, platelet-rich plasma clots, and platelet-poor plasma clots brought about by the same number of fibroblasts. 2. Clot lysis was promoted by nondividing cells and by proliferating cells. 3. Using cycloheximide to block protein synthesis it was found that the plasminogen activator released by fibroblasts had an active half-life of less than an hour. 4. When clots were washed prior to the addition of cells then lysis occurred at an increased rate. This was probably due to the removal of alpha 2-antiplasmin from the clots, since when antisera to alpha 2-antiplasmin was added to clots, lysis also proceeded at an increased rate. 5. Medium conditioned by fibroblasts did not promote clot lysis even when antiplasmin was removed by washing or by addition of antisera. 6. Cells had to be in direct contact with the clot in order to bring about lysis; when cells were separated from clots by permeable membranes there was no lysis. 7. When cross-linking of fibrin was reduced by the inhibition of transglutaminase, the rate of clot lysis was increased.     

Ultrastructure of clots during isometric contraction

We explored the retraction or contraction of platelet-fibrin clots under isometric conditions. In the presence of micromolar calcium clots of normal platelet-rich plasma developed tension at an initial rate of 0.1 to 0.2 g/min per cm2 (initial cross-sectional area). Electron microscopy of clots fixed after attaining a force of 1.6 g/cm2 revealed platelets with elongated bodies and pseudopods in close apposition to fibrin strands which were oriented in cablelike fashion in the direction of tension. The development of tension could not be explained simply on the basis of platelet-platelet association and interaction alone. First, factor XIII-dependent cross-linking of fibrin fibers was critical to normal isometric contraction. Second, tension decreased linearly, rather than exponentially, when the platelet count in the platelet-fibrin clot was decreased, suggesting that platelets must be interacting with another component (i.e. fibrin). Thrombasthenic platelets, deficient in fibrinogen receptors, failed to develop tension or to align fibrin strands or pseudopods in the clot. Platelet-fibrin clots treated with vincristine to disassemble microtubules or cytochalasin B to disrupt microfilaments failed to develop tension and relaxed if these agents were added after tension had developed. Relaxation under these conditions, however, was not associated with loss of orientation of fibrin strands. Our findings suggest that platelet-fibrin interaction in clots under isometric conditions leads to orientation of fibrin strands and platelets in the direction of force generation. Tension develops as platelets simultaneously attach to and spread along fibrin strands, and contract. The contraction draws some fibrin into platelet-fibrin clumps and aligns other strands in the long axis of tension. The achievement and maintenance of maximum tension appears to depend on the development of platelet-fibrin attachments and extension of platelet bodies and long pseudopods containing bundles of microfilaments and microtubules along the oriented fibrin fibers.     

Incorporation of fragment X into fibrin clots renders them more susceptible to lysis by plasmin

Bleeding, the most serious complication of thrombolytic therapy with tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), is thought to result from lysis of fibrin in hemostatic plugs and from the systemic lytic state caused by unopposed plasmin. One mechanism by which systemic plasmin can impair hemostasis is by partially degrading fibrinogen to fragment X, a product that retains clottability but forms clots with reduced tensile strength that stimulate plasminogen activation by t-PA more than fibrin clots. The purpose of this study was to elucidate potential mechanisms by which fragment X accelerates t-PA-mediated fibrinolysis. In the presence of t-PA, clots containing fragment X were degraded faster than fibrin clots and exhibited higher rates of plasminogen activation. Although treatment with carboxypeptidase B, an enzyme that reduces plasminogen binding to fibrin, prolonged the lysis times of fragment X and fibrin clots, clots containing fragment X still were degraded more rapidly. Furthermore, plasmin or trypsin also degraded clots containing fragment X more rapidly than fibrin clots, suggesting that this effect is largely independent of plasminogen activation. Fragment X-derived degradation products were not preferentially released by plasmin from clots composed of equal concentrations of fibrinogen and fragment X, indicating that fragment X does not constitute a preferential site for proteolysis. These data suggest that structural changes resulting from incorporation of fragment X into clots promote their lysis. Thus, attenuation of thrombolytic therapy-induced fragment X formation may reduce the risk of bleeding.     

Conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. The correlation between clotting kinetics and morphology of fibrin polymerized in different solvent media

The morphology of fibrin strongly depends on solvent medium, as shown by clotting experiments carried out in the presence of different salts. The clots were characterized by electron microscopy and spectrophotometric methods; the kinetics of gelation were determined. In the presence of electrolytes which strongly delay clotting, the strands are thin and few branching points are observed; opposite morphological changes are induced by salts which act as accelerating agents. On the basis of this correlation, and of previous data on the structure of fibrin, a kinetic model of the self-assembly process is outlined. It accounts well for the observed solvent effects on the morphology of the network. An important result emerging from our experiments is that the fibers undergo branching prior to gelation. Branching points arise from the defective growth of the fibers; a simple explanation of the occurrence of branching may be obtained by our self-assembly model.     

New cell attachment peptide sequences from conserved epitopes in the carboxy termini of fibrinogen

Fibrinogen seems to contribute significantly to cell binding and recruitment into wounds besides its major role in clot formation. We describe 19- to 21-mer cell-binding (haptotactic) peptides from the C-termini of fibrinogen beta-chain (Cbeta), the extended alphaE chain, and near the C-terminal of the gamma-chain. When these peptides were covalently bound to a biologically inert matrix such as Sepharose beads (SB), they elicited beads attachment to cells, mostly of mesenchymal origin (including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells) as well as some transformed cell lines. Based on such haptotactic activity, these peptides were termed "haptides." By contrast, peptides homologous to fibrinogen C-termini alpha- and gamma-chains elicited no such activity. The haptide Cbeta could not block the interaction of fibroblasts with antibodies directed against integrins beta(1), alpha(v), alpha(v)beta(1), alpha(v)beta(3), and alphaIIbeta(3). Moreover, GRGDS peptide could not inhibit enhanced cell binding to SB-Cbeta, as expected from an integrin-mediated process. In soluble form the haptides were accumulated in cells with nonsaturable kinetics without any toxic or proproliferative effects in concentrations up to 80 microM. These findings suggest that the conserved haptidic sequences within fibrin(ogen) can be associated with the adhesion and migration of cells into fibrin clots and may have a significant role in normal wound healing and in various pathological conditions.     

Similarities between platelet contraction and cellular motility during mitosis: role of platelet microtubules in clot retraction.

The effects of inhibitors of mitosis, energy metabolism and protein synthesis on clot retraction were investigated. The results show that (1) Incubation of colchicine (0-01-0-1 mM) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) inhibits the subsequent retraction of clots derived from diluted PRP. (2) Inhibition of clot retraction by high concentrations of colchicine (up to 40 mM) can be overcome by increasing the platelet concentration in the system. (3) Incubation of clots in colchicine or 80% D2O solutions inhibits their retraction. Exposure of partially retracted clots to these agents is without effect. (4) Hydrostatic pressure retards clot retraction. (5) Incubation of PRP with either 2-deoxy-D-glucose or antimycin alone does not affect clot retraction, but a combination of these agents is inhibitory. (6) Clot retraction is not inhibited by puromycin or cycloheximide. (7) Platelets in retracting clots have constricted regions containing microfilaments and pseudopods containing microtubules. Fibrin strands are progressively condensed around the constricted regions as retraction advances. (8) The development of platelet constriction, platelet pseudopods and the intracellular microfilaments are delayed in colchicinized clots, corresponding to the retardation of retraction. Following the initial delay of retraction colchicinized clots, like controls, show condensation of fibrin strands adjacent to these constricted areas of platelets containing microfilaments. The formation of pseudopods is impaired and no microtubules are found in platelets in the presence of colchicine. The above results suggest that the thrombin-induced platelet contraction during clot retraction is a coordinated movement, which, under optimal conditions involves both microtubules and microfilaments. The contraction of microfilaments produces the constriction of platelets and brings about clot retraction by reducing the angle between fibrin strands. Platelet microtubules are related to the development of pseudopods and play a supplementary role in facilitating microfilament-mediated cellular constriction. The similarities between platelet contraction and cellular motility in mitosis is discussed.     

Interaction of the fibrinogen-binding tetrapeptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro with fine clots and oligomers of alpha-fibrin; comparisons with alpha beta-fibrin

The tetrapeptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro(GPRP) was introduced by diffusion into fine unligated clots formed from human fibrinogen at pH 8.5 and ionic strength 0.45 by batroxobin (αβ-fibrin) and by thrombin (α-fibrin). The α-fibrin clots were essentially liquefied at GPRP concentrations above 1 mM and αβ-fibrin clots above 15 mM, and the degree of polymerization of the resulting oligomers decreased progressively with increasing GPRP concentration as shown by γ-γ ligation with factor XIIIa and subsequent gel electrophoresis. Much smaller concentrations of GPRP, when introduced into unligated clots by diffusion, were sufficient to modify their mechanical properties profoundly. The shear modulus of elasticity G₂₅ measured 25 s after imposition of stress fell, for example, by a factor of 0.4 at 0.1 mM GPRP in α-fibrin and at 1.1 mM in αβ-fibrin. The rate of shear creep under constant stress and the proportion of irrecoverable deformation also increased enormously. This behavior, and the corresponding decrease in steady flow viscosity, may be interpreted in terms of competition of GPRP with A sites on the E domains of fibrin monomers for bidning to “a” sites on the D domains, resulting in a moderate increase with increasing GPRP concentration of the average proportion of severed network strands and an enormous increase in the rate at which all strands dissociate and reassociate. Reassociation of severed strands in new configurations is a necessary corollary since the differential modulus or compliance remains constant during creep and creep recovery. The greater susceptibility of α-fibrin clots to interaction with GPRP is attributed to stabilization of contacts between monomer units by Bb associations in αβ-fibrin. Ligated clots, with or without GPRP, exhibited essentially no time-dependent creep and no irrecoverable deformation, corresponding to an absence of any severance of network strands.     

Cell cycle perturbations in normal and transformed fibroblasts caused by detachment from the substratum

Exponentially growing, anchorage-dependent fibroblasts were impeded in their progress through the cell cycle as a result of brief trypsinization from the substratum followed by replating. Untransformed mouse (3T3, clone A31), hamster (CHEF/18-1) and human (FS2) fibroblasts were partially inhibited from entering the DNA synthetic (S) phase of the cell cycle for 8 or 12 hours after detachment, even though the cells reattached within an hour of replating and attained a spread morphology 5 or 8 hours later. The decline in the proportion of cells in S phase was accompanied accumulation of cells in G1 as measured by autoradiography and flow microfluorimetry. Cells removed from the substratum by EDTA alone showed identical disturbances of exponential growth. These cell cycle perturbations could be a result of the detachment per se, as opposed to the rounded morphology. Synchronized A31 cells, exposed to colcemid or cytochalasin B for two hours, were not delayed in their entry into S, whereas trypsinization delayed S phase entry by 4 to 5 hours. These drugs disrupt the cytoskeleton without causing detachment. Isotope incorporation experiments revealed no decreases in the rates of protein or RNA synthesis following replating. However, exponentially growing A31 cells, treated for 2 hours with an inhibitor of protein synthesis behaved similarly to those briefly detached from their substratum: 7 hours after treatment, there were fewer cells in S and more cells in G1 relative to untreated cells. Brief treatment with an inhibitor of hn-RNA synthesis did not alter the cell cycle distribution of these fibroblasts. Three tumorogenic A31 derivatives were less affected by brief detachment from the substratum than were the untransformed cells. The derivative exhibiting the least in vitro growth control (an SV-40 transformant) showed the least sensitivity to trypsinization, while that derivative having the most in vitro growth control (a Moloney sarcoma virus transformant) was most sensitive. A chemically [benzo(a)pyrene] transformed derivative gave intermediate results with respect to both growth control and sensitivity to detachment from the substratum. The results suggest that as yet unidentified protein(s) necessary for the normal transit through G1 may be quite sensitive to the presence of an anchoring substratum.     

Tissue origin and extracellular matrix control neutral proteinase activity in human fibroblast three-dimensional cultures

Remodeling of the extracellular matrix by fibroblasts is an important step in the process of wound healing and tissue repair. We compared the behavior of fibroblasts from two different tissues, dermis and gingiva, in three-dimensional lattices made of two different extracellular matrix macromolecules, collagen and fibrin. Cells were grown in monolayer cultures from normal skin or gingiva and seeded in three-dimensional lattices made of either collagen or fibrin. Photonic and scanning electron microscopy did not reveal any morphological differences between the two types of fibroblasts in both sets of lattices. Both types of fibroblasts retracted collagen lattices similarly and caused only a slight degradation of the collagen substratum. By contrast, when seeded in fibrin lattices, gingival fibroblasts completely digested their substratum in less than 8 days, whereas only a slight fibrin degradation was observed with dermal fibroblasts. The ability of gingival but not dermal fibroblasts to express high levels of tissue plasminogen activators (tPA) when cultured in fibrin lattices was assessed on an immunological basis. Also, deprivation of plasminogen-contaminating fibrinogen preparations or use of tPA inhibitors markedly inhibited both fibrinolysis and retraction rates of fibrin lattices by gingival fibroblasts. Casein-zymography confirmed the intense proteolytic activity induced by fibrin in gingival fibroblasts. It was inhibited by aprotinin and phenyl methylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), two non-specific inhibitors of serine proteinases, and by η-amino-caproic acid (ηACA), an inhibitor of plasminogen activators. Monolayer cultures exhibited only trace amounts of caseinolytic activity. Our results demonstrate that the expression of proteinases by fibroblasts is dependent not only on their tissue origin but also on the surrounding extracellular matrix. The intense fibrinolytic activity of gingival fibroblasts in fibrin lattices may explain partially the high rate of healing clinically observed in gingiva. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Expression of transformation-associated protease(s) that degrade fibronectin at cell contact sites

Virus-transformed fibroblasts show an increased production of proteases as well as loss of extracellular adhesive proteins. To determine whether these transformation-associated events are related, we investigated the capacity of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells (embryonic chick fibroblasts and mouse BALB/c 3T3) to degrade fibronectin by using a novel cross-linked protein substratum: fluorescence-labeled or radiolabeled fibronectin covalently linked to the surface of a fixed gelatin film. In serum-containing medium, the coupled fibronectin was not released when incubated without cells, and only a small amount was released when incubated with nontransformed cells. However, when transformed cells were seeded on the radiolabeled fibronectin-coupled substratum, there was a threefold increase in the time-dependent release of radioactivity into the medium. The released material was characterized as peptides with molecular sizes of less than 30,000 daltons. Correspondingly, growth of transformed cells on the rhodamine-fibronectin substratum resulted in the appearance of discrete negative fluorescent spots beneath the cells and along their migratory paths, whereas a uniform fluorescent carpet was detected with nontransformed cells. The release of radioactivity was partially inhibited by protease inhibitors, including alpha 2-macroglobulin, leupeptin, and benzamidine, but the negative fluorescent spots appeared unaffected by any of these inhibitors. However, both the release of radiolabeled peptides and the appearance of fluorescence-negative spots were inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline at concentrations that did not affect cellular attachment and protein synthesis, thus supporting a role for proteases in localized degradation of fibronectin substratum. These fluorescence-negative spots coincided with sites of fibronectin disappearance as judged by indirect labeling with antibodies to cellular fibronectin. In addition, immunofluorescent analyses showed a correlation between vinculin localization and the negative fibronectin spots found under transformed cells, indicating that degradation occurs at cell substratum contact sites. These results can be correlated with other transformation-associated phenotypic changes, and are discussed in terms of the invasion of tumor cells into the extracellular matrix.     

Modulation of fibroblast-induced clot retraction by calcium channel blocking drugs and the monoclonal antibody ALB6

Suspensions of living human fibroblast induce fibrin clot retractile activity (FCR). The efficiency is dependent on the growth phase; it is maximal during active growth and reduced in post-confluent cultures. In contrast human osteosarcoma cells constantly exhibit very low FCR efficiency. Two different calcium channel-blocking drugs Diltiazem and Verapamil inhibit, depending on the concentrations employed, FCR, and spreading within the clots of the normal cells. Intermediate FCR levels are associated with intermediate degrees of spreading. A similar dose dependent inhibition is also obtained by treating the normal cells with the calmodulin inhibitor trifluoperazine (TFP). On the other hand, treatment of the normal cells with the monoclonal antibody ALB6 which is directed at the human leukocyte differentiation antigen CD9 (p24) causes a significant increase in the FCR efficiency in post-confluent normal cells, but it has no effect on the Te85 osteosarcoma cells. Moreover ALB6 IgG reverses the FCR inhibitory effect of the calcium-channel blocking drugs but not that of TFP. This means that the ALB6 IgG target on the cellular membrane is probably the same as that of the two drugs and that ALB6 IgG is active in the regulation of the calcium flux which controls fibrin clot retractile activity of normal human fibroblasts.     

Release kinetics of transforming growth factor-beta1 from fibrin clots

In any therapeutic model involving a tissue-engineering approach to the repair of partial-thickness articular cartilage defects, a chondrogenic differentiation factor is required to ensure tissue-specific healing. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is known to act in this capacity, but at such high concentrations as to render its direct injection into the joint cavity inadvisable. This situation calls for a delivery system that can be applied directly to the defect site and that will release the drug gradually over a period of some weeks. Liposome encapsulation represents one such system, and has been recently implemented with some success in an animal model for cartilage repair. However, the kinetics of TGF-beta1 release have not been determined, it was the purpose of the present study to characterize these. The liberation of [(125)I]-labeled TGF-beta1 from fibrin matrices containing this agent in either a free or liposome-encapsulated form was monitored by liquid scintillation counting for 25 days in vitro. During the initial 5 days, fibrin clots containing liposome-encapsulated TGF-beta1 released this cytokine at a slower rate (2% to 4% per day) than did those containing the free molecules (10% to 20% per day); thereafter, the release rates were similar. At the end of the incubation period, only 40% of the liposome-encapsulated TGF-beta1 had been released from the fibrin clots, as compared with 68% from those containing the free molecules. Liposome encapsulation thus represents a suitable means of establishing a slow-delivery system in tissue-engineering approaches to articular cartilage repair.     

Fibrin fragment E potentiates TGF-β-induced myofibroblast activation and recruitment

Fibrin is an essential constituent of the coagulation cascade, and the formation of hemostatic fibrin clots is central to wound healing. Fibrin clots are over time degraded into fibrin degradation products as the injured tissue is replaced by granulation tissue. Our goal was to study the role of the fibrin degradation product fragment E (FnE) in fibroblast activation and migration. We present evidence that FnE is a chemoattractant for fibroblasts and that FnE can potentiate TGF-β-induced myofibroblast formation. FnE forms a stable complex with α_Vβ₃ integrin, and the integrin β₃ subunit is required both for FnE-induced fibroblast migration and for potentiation of TGF-β-induced myofibroblast formation. Finally, subcutaneous infusion of FnE in mice results in a fibrotic response in the hypodermis. These results support a model where FnE released from clots in wounded tissue promote wound healing and fibrosis by both recruitment and activation of fibroblasts. Fibrin fragment E could thus represent a therapeutic target for treatment of pathological fibrosis.     

Changes in the distribution of a major fibroblast protein, fibronectin, during mitosis and interphase

The distribution of a major fibroblast protein, fibronectin, was studied by immunofluorescence and immunoscanning electron microscopy in cultures of human and chicken fibroblasts during different phases of the cell cycle. The main findings were: (a) In interphase cells, the intensity of surface-associated fibronectin fluorescence correlated with that of intracellular fibronectin fluorescence. (b) The intensity of the fluorescence of both surface-associated and intracellular fibronectins was not changed in cells that were synthesizing DNA. (c) Mitotic cells had reduced amounts of surface-associated but not of intracellular fibronectin. The surface fibronectin that remained on meta-, ana-, or telophase cells had a distinct punctate distribution and was also localized to strands attaching the cells to the substratum. Fibronectin strands first reappeared on the surface of flattening cytoplasmic parts of telophase cells. (d) Fibronectin was also detected in extracellular fibrillar material on the growth substratum, particularly around dividing cells. Thus, surface-associated fibrillar fibronectin was present during G(1), S, and G(2) but in cells undergoing mitosis the distribution was altered and the amount appeared to be reduced. The observations on the distribution of surface-associated fibronectin suggest that rather than being involved in growth control this fibronectin plays a structural role in interactions of cells with the environment.     

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 binds fibrinogen and fibrin.

Following tissue injury, a fibrin network formed at the wound site serves as a scaffold supporting the early migration of stromal cells needed for wound healing. Growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrate in wounds to stimulate stromal cell function and proliferation. The ability of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) such as IGFBP-3 to reduce the rate of IGF-I clearance from wounds suggests that IGFBP-3 might bind directly to fibrinogen/fibrin. Studies presented here show that IGFBP-3 does indeed bind to fibrinogen and fibrin immobilized on immunocapture plates, with K(d) values = 0.67 and 0.70 nM, respectively, and competitive binding studies suggest that the IGFBP-3 heparin binding domain may participate in this binding. IGF-I does not compete for IGFBP-3 binding; instead, IGF-I binds immobilized IGFBP-3.fibrinogen and IGFBP-3.fibrin complexes with affinity similar to that of IGF-I for the type I IGF receptor. In the presence of plasminogen, most IGFBP-3 binds directly to fibrinogen, although 35-40% of the IGFBP-3 binds to fibrinogen-bound plasminogen. IGFBP-3 also binds specifically to native fibrin clots, and addition of exogenous IGFBP-3 increases IGF-I binding. These studies suggest that IGF-I can concentrate at wound sites by binding to fibrin-immobilized IGFBP-3, and that the lower IGF affinity of fibrin-bound IGFBP-3 allows IGF-I release to type I IGF receptors of stromal cells migrating into the fibrin clot.     

Studies on the action of nerve growth factor. III. Role of RNA and protein synthesis in the process of neurite outgrowth.

Chick embryo dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia cultured on untreated tissue culture plates exhibited a dependence upon both RNA and protein synthesis for the expression of nerve growth factor-mediated neurite outgrowth. Neurite outgrowth was no longer dependent upon RNA synthesis, but remained dependent upon continued protein synthesis when ganglia were cultured in plasma clots, or on either collagen or poly-l-lysine coated plates. Nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth was dependent upon the presence of either microexudates, which may play an important role as functional components of the substratum across which neurites migrate, or exogenous substrata such as collagen, fibrin, or poly-l-lysine.     

Role of cytoskeletal elements in the retractile activity of human skin fibroblasts

Giant axonal neuropathy skin fibroblasts, which are characterized by a selective and partial disorganization of vimentin filaments [1] exhibited, when compared with normal skin fibroblasts, less fibrin clot retractile (FCR) activity and spreading within the fibrin clot both during active growth and resting stage. Skin fibroblasts derived from patients affected with adenomatosis of the colon and rectum, which display a disorganized actin network [2], exhibited reduced FCR activity and spreading within the fibrin clot only during resting stage. FCR inhibition was also obtained by treating the cells with colcemid, cytochalasin B (CB) and dihydrocytochalasin B. The data suggest that FCR activity is under the control of different cytoskeletal structures. For the first time, a direct involvement of intermediate-sized filaments could be demonstrated in the interaction between fibroblasts and an organic substratum.     

Elastic Behavior and Platelet Retraction in Low- and High-Density Fibrin?Gels

Fibrin is a biopolymer that gives thrombi the mechanical strength to withstand the forces imparted on them by blood flow. Importantly, fibrin is highly extensible, but strain hardens at low deformation rates. The density of fibrin in clots, especially arterial clots, is higher than that in gels made at plasma concentrations of fibrinogen (3–10 mg/mL), where most rheology studies have been conducted. Our objective in this study was to measure and characterize the elastic regimes of low (3–10 mg/mL) and high (30–100 mg/mL) density fibrin gels using shear and extensional rheology. Confocal microscopy of the gels shows that fiber density increases with fibrinogen concentration. At low strains, fibrin gels act as thermal networks independent of fibrinogen concentration. Within the low-strain regime, one can predict the mesh size of fibrin gels by the elastic modulus using semiflexible polymer theory. Significantly, this provides a link between gel mechanics and interstitial fluid flow. At moderate strains, we find that low-density fibrin gels act as nonaffine mechanical networks and transition to affine mechanical networks with increasing strains within the moderate regime, whereas high-density fibrin gels only act as affine mechanical networks. At high strains, the backbone of individual fibrin fibers stretches for all fibrin gels. Platelets can retract low-density gels by >80% of their initial volumes, but retraction is attenuated in high-density fibrin gels and with decreasing platelet density. Taken together, these results show that the nature of fibrin deformation is a strong function of fibrin fiber density, which has ramifications for the growth, embolization, and lysis of thrombi.