- Mar 08 Fri 2013 23:42
最後一夜
- Oct 03 Mon 2011 00:10
Abstract
Mechanical tension is regarded as a crucial factor to trigger neurite outgrowth and axon elongation in many neurological researches. In this study, we developed a feasible and reliable stretching platform combined with photolithography and microfluidic techniques to investigate the effect of directional tensile force and guiding microchannel on cell behavior of neurons. The PDMS based substrate with specific micropattern is designed as stretching membrane where neural stem cells (NSCs) are seeded on and experienced with tensile force. This allows us to investigate the mechanoresponses of neuron and verify the effects of tension on neurite extension at a single-cell level. Different stretching modes (viz., continuous or intermittent) and culture conditions (viz., pattern or non-pattern) are conducted to examine the distinct effects of tension on neurite extension during cell incubation. For cells undergoing mechanical tension, neurite extension and axon elongation were significantly enhanced and neurite orientation was heading more toward the path of tension from random distribution to parallel direction as cells experienced stretching with parameter 1 mm/day after 7 days culture. We can also find that mechanical tension apparently influence NSCs differentiation toward neuronal cells at Day 7 both in pattern and non-pattern area under stretching condition compared to non-stretching group from the analysis of neuronal protein marker, β Ⅲ tubulin. However, the neuronal maturity didn’t show significant difference for neurites either on parallel or vertical channels in microchannel pattern region. This may be further investigated by long-term culture to distinguish the directional effect of mechanical tension on promoting NSCs maturation processes.
