Ultrasonic stimulation of single bovine aortic endothelial cells at 1GHz

Endothelial cells (ECs) in the body are constantly being exposed to mechanical forces such as shear stress and hydrostatic pressure due to blood flow, pressure, and deformation of vessel wall. Mechanosensitive ion channels and mechanosensors on the membrane of EC upon external mechanical stimulation transmit, signal and regulate cellular responses. However, it remains unclear how cells sense the mechanical stimuli through ion channels. A better understanding role of mechanosensitive ion channels in cellular system will go a long way towards shedding light on cellular mechanotransduction. Calcium ion (Ca²⁺) is one of the most important biological signaling molecules controlling numerous cellular processes and functions. In this paper, we report on the results of a study in elucidating the effect of mechanical stimuli exerted on a single bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) by ultrasound microbeam at 1 GHz on Ca²⁺ transport across cell membrane. These results clearly demonstrate that BAECs can be excited by mechanical stimulation by ultrasound at 1GHz, suggesting that ultrasound microbeam may be a valuable tool in studying cellular mechanotransduction.