Pulsatile shear stress leads to DNA fragmentation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line

Using an in vitro model of shear stress-induced cell injury we demonstrate that application of shear to differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells leads to cell death characterized by DNA fragmentation. Controlled shear stress was applied to cells via a modified cone and plate viscometer. We show that pulsatile shear stress leads to DNA fragmentation, as determined via flow cytometry of fluorescein-12-dUTP nick-end labelled cells, in 45 ± 4% of cells. No lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was observed immediately after injury; however, 24 h after injury significant LDH release was observed. Nitric oxide production by cells subjected to pulsatile shear increased two- to threefold over that in unsheared control cells. Inhibition of protein synthesis, nitric oxide production, Ca 2+ entry into cells, and pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein activation attenuated the shear stress-induced cell injury. Our results show for the first time that application of pulsatile shear stress to a neuron-like cell in vitro leads to nitric oxide-dependent cell death.