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A Microfluidic System for Modeling Endothelial Dysfunction under Combined Physiological Pulsatile Shear Stress and
Si-Yu Hu1, Xiao-Yu Xu2, Chun-Dong Xue3
1Institute of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Medicine, Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology; School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|June 1, 2026
Summary
Diabetic vascular complications involve oscillatory glucose and pulsatile shear stress. A microfluidic platform shows pulsatile shear stress protects against glucose-induced oxidative injury, reducing reactive oxygen species and improving cell viability.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Vascular Biology
- Diabetic Complications
Background:
- Endothelial dysfunction in diabetes is driven by complex metabolic and mechanical factors.
- Current models fail to replicate the integrated, dynamic interplay of oscillatory glucose and pulsatile shear stress.
- Understanding these coupled effects is crucial for modeling diabetic vascular disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a microfluidic platform for studying endothelial dysfunction under synchronized oscillatory hyperglycemia and pulsatile shear stress.
- To investigate the protective effects of physiological pulsatile shear stress against oscillatory glucose-induced endothelial damage.
- To provide a versatile tool for mechanistic studies and drug screening in diabetic vascular disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a programmable microfluidic platform with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip and pressure-driven control.
- Independently modulated oscillatory glucose (OG) concentrations and pulsatile shear stress (PSS) waveforms.
- Validated hemodynamic fidelity using Micro-Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV).
- Quantified cellular response by measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell viability.
Main Results:
- Physiological PSS was found to significantly attenuate oxidative injury induced by OG.
- Combined stimulation with PSS and OG resulted in reduced intracellular ROS levels compared to OG alone.
- Cell viability was improved under the combined stimulation conditions, indicating a protective effect of PSS.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic system effectively models the integrated effects of coupled metabolic and mechanical stimuli on endothelial cells.
- Physiological pulsatile shear stress demonstrates a protective role against oscillatory glucose-induced endothelial oxidative stress.
- This platform offers a valuable tool for advancing research into diabetic vascular disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.