B. Wojciakstothard et al., GUIDANCE AND ACTIVATION OF MURINE MACROPHAGES BY NANOMETRIC SCALE TOPOGRAPHY, Experimental cell research, 223(2), 1996, pp. 426-435
We studied the guidance and activation of macrophages from the P388D1
cell line and rat peritoneum by topographic features on a nanometric s
cale, Cells were plated on plain fused silica substrata or substrata w
ith microfabricated grooves and steps, 30-282 nm deep, The contact of
cells with the patterned surface activated cell spreading and adhesion
and increased the number of protrusions of the cell membrane. These c
hanges were accompanied by an increase in the amount of F-actin in cel
ls, The accumulation of F-actin and vinculin in cells was observed alo
ng the edges of single steps or grooves, Formation of focal contacts a
long discontinuities in the substratum was accompanied by the phosphor
ylation of tyrosine colocalized with F-actin and vinculin, A similar p
attern of staining was seen in cells stained for vitronectin receptor,
alpha V integrin, but not for integrins alpha 5 beta 1 or alpha 3 bet
a 1, Cells cultured on nanogrooves showed a higher phagocytotic activi
ty than cells cultured on plain substrata, We show that macrophages ca
n react to ultrafine features of topography of a size comparable to th
at of a single collagen fiber and become activated by the contact with
topographic features. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.