Journal: Frontiers in Physiology

Article Title: Mechanical signaling regulates vascular smooth muscle cell adaptation in aging

doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1593886

Figure Lengend Snippet: Integrin α5β1 is known to be involved in regulating cellular and vessel contractility. In young cells, actomyosin apparatus is strong and the VSM cell is able to properly regulate its stiffness and adhesion to the matrix in response to mechanical signals. In aging, the decrease in SMα-actin stress fiber formation and alteration of cell-matrix adhesions induces a reduced VSM cell contractility and deficient mechanosensing. However, mechanical signals (e.g., stretch, pressure) presented to aged VSM cells through the extracellular matrix stimulate integrin activity which in turn promotes enhanced actomyosin-induced contractility, thus, recovering the age-induced effects. Diagram created with www.biorender.com .

Article Snippet: VSM cells were cultured on hydrogels of different stiffnesses mimicking young and old vessel wall matrix stiffness at 4 kPa (ss12-EC-4-EA) and 100 kPa (SS12-EC-100-EA), respectively (Matrigen, Irvine, CA).

Techniques: Activity Assay