Abstract
To investigate cellular response of cardiomyocytes to substrate mechanics, biocompatible material with stiffness in physiological range is needed. PDMS based material is used for construction of microfluidic organ on chip devices for cell culture due to ease of device preparation, bonding, and possibility of surface functionalization. However it has stiffness orders of magnitude out of physiological range. Therefore, we adapted recently available protocol aiming to prepare substrates which offer stiffness in physiological range 5−100kPa using various mixtures of Sylgard. An in-house developed loading device with single micron position tracking accuracy and sub-micron position sensitivity was adapted for this experimental campaign. All batches of the samples were subjected to uniaxial loading. During quasi-static experiment the samples were compressed to minimally 40% deformation. The results are represented in the form of stress-strain curves calculated from the acquired force and displacement data and elastic moduli are estimated.
Highlights
Mechanical stimulus emerged as important factor for cell and organ development, homeostasis, and disease in vivo
Effects of dynamic mechanical stimulation are investigated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic devices, where cultivation membrane is orders of magnitude stiffer than what can be found in vivo
As the actuation of the cultivation membrane in general changes material properties we decided to measure the stiffness with tensile strain up to 20 % of original length to mimic its application in microfluidic device
Summary
Mechanical stimulus emerged as important factor for cell and organ development, homeostasis, and disease in vivo. To investigate effects of static and dynamic mechanical stimulation of in vitro grown cells two different approaches are being currently used. To determine the effect of material stiffness in static conditions polyacrylamide (PA) gels which can be prepared in the range of stiffness reflecting in vivo situation are used. Effects of dynamic mechanical stimulation (stretching) are investigated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic devices, where cultivation membrane is orders of magnitude stiffer than what can be found in vivo. In order to integrate physiological stiffness and possibility to actuate (stretch) the cultivation surface in one device we aimed to prepare PDMS based material with stiffness in physiological range, which can be used in pneumatically actuated microfluidic device and test its biocompatibility. As the actuation of the cultivation membrane in general changes material properties we decided to measure the stiffness with tensile strain up to 20 % of original length to mimic its application in microfluidic device
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