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A Lab-On-A-Chip Platform for Stimulating Osteocyte Mechanotransduction and Analyzing Functional Outcomes of Bone Remodeling
Published on: May 21, 2020
A multishear microfluidic device for quantitative analysis of calcium dynamics in osteoblasts
Songzi Kou1, Leiting Pan, Danny van Noort
1The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics School, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, China.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|April 26, 2011
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic device to precisely control fluid shear stress on bone cells. Osteoblasts showed calcium level changes proportional to shear stress, revealing a response threshold.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Fluid shear stress significantly impacts bone cell function and remodeling.
- Understanding cellular responses to mechanical stimuli is crucial for bone biology research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a microfluidic system for applying controlled, multi-level shear stresses to osteoblasts.
- To investigate the relationship between fluid shear stress intensity and cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) dynamics in osteoblasts.
Main Methods:
- A novel microfluidic device with four distinct culture chambers of varying widths was engineered.
- Resistance correction channels ensured equal flow distribution, enabling precise shear stress control.
- Computational fluid dynamics simulations identified optimal regions for calcium imaging within the chambers.
Main Results:
- Osteoblasts exhibited a dose-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)](c) in response to shear stress ranging from 0.03 to 0.30 Pa.
- A discernible delay in cellular response was observed, with an activation threshold identified between 0.03 and 0.06 Pa.
- The microfluidic system successfully generated controllable, multi-level shear stresses for quantitative analysis.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic platform provides a robust tool for studying shear stress mechanotransduction in osteoblasts.
- Quantitative data on shear stress-induced calcium signaling in bone cells can be obtained using this system.
- This technology facilitates a deeper understanding of how mechanical forces influence bone cell behavior and potentially bone diseases.
