Research Progress of Cell Autophagy Induced by Mechanical Stress

Autophagy is a significant protective mechanism of the body, which plays a key role in maintaining cell homeostasis and function during the process of coping with harmful stimuli. Additionally, autophagy also participates in regulating the occurrence and development of many diseases, such as malignant tumors and atherosclerosis. Cells are in a complex mechanical microenvironment and a variety of mechanical stimuli can induce autophagy. Stress can induce the autophagy of cardiomyocytes; tension regulates the autophagy of multiple cells in the motor system; and fluid shear stress activates the autophagy of vascular endothelial cells and tumor cells. The cell autophagy induced by mechanical stress relies on various signal pathways. The cytoskeleton, as an important regulatory factor, is not only involved in cell mechanotransduction, but also responsible for the specific process of autophagy. It is demonstrated that the cytoskeleton is closely related to autophagy induced by mechanical stress. In this paper, the effects of mechanical stimulation on autophagy and the underlying molecular mechanism are reviewed in combination with the recent research progress, which is expected to broaden a new prospective for studying the effects of mechanical stress on cell biological behavior and provide new strategies and molecular targets for the treatment of related diseases.