{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T04:40:06Z","timestamp":1790743206500,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,20]],"date-time":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1674172800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"H2020 European Research and Innovation Programme","award":["812772"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["812772"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mechanical properties of healthy and Dupuytren fibroblasts were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition to standard force curves, rheological properties were assessed using an oscillatory testing methodology, in which the frequency was swept from 1 Hz to 1 kHz, and data were analyzed using the structural damping model. Dupuytren fibroblasts showed larger apparent Young\u2019s modulus values than healthy ones, which is in agreement with previous results. Moreover, cell mechanics were compared before and after ML-7 treatment, which is a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor (MLCK) that reduces myosin activity and hence cell contraction. We employed two different concentrations of ML-7 inhibitor and could observe distinct cell reactions. At 1 \u00b5M, healthy and scar fibroblasts did not show measurable changes in stiffness, but Dupuytren fibroblasts displayed a softening and recovery after some time. When increasing ML-7 concentration (3 \u00b5M), the majority of cells reacted, Dupuytren fibroblasts were the most susceptible, not being able to recover from the drug and dying. These results suggested that ML-7 is a potent inhibitor for MLCK and that myosin II is essential for cytoskeleton stabilization and cell survival.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms24032043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,20]],"date-time":"2023-01-20T02:43:29Z","timestamp":1674182609000},"page":"2043","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Comparison of Rheological Properties of Healthy versus Dupuytren Fibroblasts When Treated with a Cell Contraction Inhibitor by Atomic Force Microscope"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Sandra","family":"P\u00e9rez-Dom\u00ednguez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Javier","family":"L\u00f3pez-Alonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institute Pasteur Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, 59021 Lille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frank","family":"Lafont","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institute Pasteur Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, 59021 Lille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8744-4541","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manfred","family":"Radmacher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"717","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhsa.2006.02.021","article-title":"A Comparison of the Direct Outcomes of Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy and Limited Fasciectomy for Dupuytren\u2019s Disease: A 6-Week Follow-Up Study","volume":"31","author":"Gerbrandy","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. 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