Abstract
This paper presents a microfluidic device enabling culture of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) where extracellular matrix coating, VSMC seeding, culture, and immunostaining are demonstrated in a tubing-free manner. By optimizing droplet volume differences between inlets and outlets of micro channels, VSMCs were evenly seeded into microfluidic devices. Furthermore, the effects of extracellular matrix (e.g., collagen, poly-l-Lysine (PLL), and fibronectin) on VSMC proliferation and phenotype expression were explored. As a platform technology, this microfluidic device may function as a new VSMC culture model enabling VSMC studies.
Highlights
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are essential blood vessel components responsible for the regulation of vessel tones and their dysfunctions may lead to diverse vascular diseases[1,2]
This paper presents a microfluidic device enabling culture of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) where extracellular matrix coating, VSMC seeding, culture, and immunostaining are demonstrated in a tubing-free manner
This microfluidic device was confirmed to be capable of functioning as a new vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) culture model for VSMC studies
Summary
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are essential blood vessel components responsible for the regulation of vessel tones and their dysfunctions may lead to diverse vascular diseases[1,2] (e.g., abdominal aortic aneurysm,[3,4] atherosclerosis,[5–7] and restenosis[8,9]). Current studies of VSMCs are based on conventional cell culture approaches (e.g., culture dish and flask),[10,11] which allow no control over the spatial/temporal distribution of the cells and biomolecules and cannot recapitulate local in vivo microenvironments. Due to its dimensional comparison with biological cells and capabilities of defining local biophysical, biochemical, and physiological cues, microfluidics has been used to construct more in vivo like cell culture models,[14–16] enabling tumor,[17,18] neuron,[19] and vascular[20,21] studies. As to applications of microfluidics to vascular smooth muscle cell studies, preliminary studies were confined within three areas.[22–43]. Microfluidics is the science and technology of manipulating and detecting fluids in the microscale.[12,13] Due to its dimensional comparison with biological cells and capabilities of defining local biophysical, biochemical, and physiological cues, microfluidics has been used to construct more in vivo like cell culture models,[14–16] enabling tumor,[17,18] neuron,[19] and vascular[20,21] studies.
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