A microfluidic device for noninvasive cell electrical stimulation and extracellular field potential analysis.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Accurate cell characterization is crucial for developing functional engineered tissues.
• Current methods for assessing cell electrical activity can be invasive or limited in throughput.
• Microfluidic devices offer precise control over cellular microenvironments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel microfluidic device for applying electrical stimulation (ES) and simultaneously measuring extracellular field potentials.
• To assess the device's capability in distinguishing between electrically excitable and non-excitable cells.
• To explore the device's utility in optimizing ES parameters for engineered cardiac tissue development.

Main Methods:

• A microfluidic device was engineered to apply versatile ES signals to cells in microfluidic channels.
• The device integrates cell trapping on electrodes for ES and pressure-driven cell manipulation for continuous measurement.
• Cardiomyocytes, human fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were tested, and their extracellular field potentials were recorded under varying ES conditions.

Main Results:

• The device successfully distinguished between electrically excitable cardiomyocytes and non-excitable cells based on their field potential responses to ES.
• Increased cardiomyocyte number correlated with enhanced magnitude and occurrence of electrical responses, suggesting viability detection.
• ES application modulated cardiomyocyte electrical activity, with responses dependent on stimulation frequency and cell cluster composition.

Conclusions:

• The developed device provides a non-invasive method for differentiating cell types based on electrical excitability.
• The device can be used to optimize ES parameters, crucial for advancing the development of functional engineered cardiac tissues.
• This technology holds potential for cell-based assays and tissue engineering applications.