Development of dynamic well plate system for cell culture with mechanical stimulus of shear stress and magnetic field

Abstract

Investigating the effects of various physical stimuli on cells is important for improving the efficiency of tissue repair and regeneration. In this research, we developed a dynamic well plate system by integrating the advantages of conventional well plates and a bioreactor to provide simultaneous physical stimuli of shear stress and a static magnetic field. The dynamic well plate involving perfusion of culture medium can control hydrodynamic shear while retaining the inherent simplicity of conventional well plates. The specific well plate cover was designed to load shear stress on cells during cultivation and was built to fit over a standard six-well plate. Additionally, to investigate the effects of a magnetic field on cell proliferation, a static neodymium magnet was placed beneath each well. To assess the system developed, calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) cells were cultured using the developed system. CPAE cells under hydrodynamic shear stress conditions were elongated and aligned in the direction of the flow and the magnetic field enhanced CPAE cell proliferation. Simultaneous application of a magnetic field and shear flow in CPAE cell cultivation allowed the development of optimized culture conditions, initially for cell proliferation and then for functional expression, such as cell shape changes.