Endothelial cell behavior inside myoblast sheets with different thickness

Biotechnol Lett. 2013 Jul;35(7):1001-8. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1174-x. Epub 2013 Mar 21.

Abstract

Using a cell sheet stacking method, we developed an in vitro culture system in which green fluorescent protein expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (GFP-HUVECs) were cultured under human skeletal muscle myoblast (HSMM) sheets with different layer numbers. Our aim in developing this system was to examine the different endothelial behaviors in the cell sheet. During 96 h of incubation, in monolayer HSMM sheet, HUVECs quickly reached the top of the cell sheet and detached. In three-layered HSMM sheet, HUVECs also migrated to the top layer and formed island-shaped aggregates. In five-layered HSMM sheet, HUVECs migrated into the middle of the cell sheet and formed net-shaped aggregates. In seven-layered HSMM sheet, HUVECs migrated in the basal of the cell sheet and formed sparse net-shaped aggregates. The thickness of the HSMM sheet, which can be controlled by the layer number of the cell sheet, is therefore an important parameter that affects the migration time, encounters, localization, and morphology of HUVECs inside the HSMM sheet.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Cell Movement
  • Endothelial Cells / physiology*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Myoblasts / physiology*
  • Organ Culture Techniques