ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the influence of external electric fields on migration behavior and morphology of endo‐thelial progenitor cells (EPCs) cultured in vitro .Methods The in vitro cultured 3-4 generation EPCs were continuously stimula‐ted by direct‐current electric field with the field intensity of 0 mV/mm(group Ⅰ ) ,100 mV/mm(group Ⅱ) ,200 mV/mm(group Ⅲ) and 300 mV/mm (group Ⅳ )for 3 h .The live cell station was used to real time record the cell migration track and morphology change of EPCs .The influence of external electric field on the EPCs migration behavior and morphology was analyzed .Results Un‐der the stimulation of the direct‐current electric field with the intensity of group Ⅳ ,group Ⅲ and group Ⅱ ,the cells were directly migrated to anode ,while the cells under group Ⅰ displayed the random motion .The track migration velocity(Vt)、displacemnt ve‐locity(Vd) and electric field direction migration rate(Vx) were(98 .86 ± 6 .00) ,(63 .78 ± 2 .81) ,(63 .15 ± 2 .88)μm/h for the groupⅣ ,(88 .06 ± 8 .83) ,(35 .90 ± 1 .22) ,(34 .20 ± 1 .57)μm/h for the groupⅢ ,(42 .28 ± 2 .25) ,(13 .29 ± 0 .37) ,(12 .39 ± 0 .51)μm/h for the groupⅡ ,which were significantly higher than(37 .39 ± 2 .42) ,(6 .99 ± 0 .31) ,(4 .62 ± 0 .40)μm/h for the groupⅠ (P<0 .01) ,moreover Vt ,Vd and Vx in the group Ⅲ were significantly higher than those in the group Ⅱ andⅠ (P<0 .01) .EPCs had obvious morphological changes under the electric field action ,such as elongation and the cellular long axis parallel to the electric field direction .Conclusion External direct current electric fields may induce the directed migration of EPCs towards the anode ,ac‐celerates the migration rate ,moreover has obvious influence on EPCs morphology .