Work is our laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Preparation
<ul>
<li> Coverslips should be autoclaved.</li>
<li> Sterile distilled or deionized water should be used to prepare solutions and for washing coverslips.</li>
<li> AC (40% w/v) and bis-AC (1% w/v) solutions are sterilized by 0.2 &mu;m filtration. Prepare 10% ammonium persulfate (APS; 100&mu;g/ml water) shortly before use and sterile filter. Replace the APS solution monthly.</li>
<li> Chemical reagents such as 3-APTMS, chloroform, glutaradehyde, NHS, and SurfaSil that cannot be autoclaved are kept in an assi...

<ol>
	<li>Beattie, D., Xu, C., Vito, R., Glagov, S., Whang, M. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanical+analysis+of+heterogeneous,+atherosclerotic+human+aorta.">Mechanical analysis of heterogeneous, atherosclerotic human aorta.</a> J Biomech Eng. 120, 602-607 (1998).</li><li>Bernini, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Arterial+stiffness,+intima-media+thickness+and+carotid+artery+fibrosis+in+patients+with+primary+aldosteronism.">Arterial stiffness, intima-media thickness and carotid artery fibrosis in patients with primary aldosteronism.</a> J Hypertens. 26, 2399-2405 (2008).</li><li>Boonyasirinant, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Aortic+stiffness+is+increased+in+hypertrophic+cardiomyopathy+with+myocardial+fibrosis:+novel+insights+in+vascular+function+from+magnetic+resonance+imaging.">Aortic stiffness is increased in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with myocardial fibrosis: novel insights in vascular function from magnetic resonance imaging.</a> J Am Coll Cardiol. 54, 255-2562 (2009).</li><li>Discher, D. E., Janmey, P., Wang, Y. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tissue+cells+feel+and+respond+to+the+stiffness+of+their+substrate.">Tissue cells feel and respond to the stiffness of their substrate.</a> Science. 310, 1139-1143 (2005).</li><li>Duprez, D. A., Cohn, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Arterial+stiffness+as+a+risk+factor+for+coronary+atherosclerosis.">Arterial stiffness as a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis.</a> Curr Atheroscler Rep. 9, 139-144 (2007).</li><li>Lee, R. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prediction+of+mechanical+properties+of+human+atherosclerotic+tissue+by+high-frequency+intravascular+ultrasound+imaging.+An+in+vitro+study.">Prediction of mechanical properties of human atherosclerotic tissue by high-frequency intravascular ultrasound imaging. An in vitro study.</a> Arterioscler Thromb. 12, 1-5 (1992).</li><li>Levental, K. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Matrix+crosslinking+forces+tumor+progression+by+enhancing+integrin+signaling.">Matrix crosslinking forces tumor progression by enhancing integrin signaling.</a> Cell. 139, 891-906 (2009).</li><li>Paszek, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tensional+homeostasis+and+the+malignant+phenotype.">Tensional homeostasis and the malignant phenotype.</a> Cancer Cell. 8, 241-254 (2005).</li><li>Samani, A., Zubovits, J., Plewes, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Elastic+moduli+of+normal+and+pathological+human+breast+tissues:+an+inversion-technique-based+investigation+of+169+samples.">Elastic moduli of normal and pathological human breast tissues: an inversion-technique-based investigation of 169 samples.</a> Phys Med Biol. 52, 1565-1576 (2007).</li><li>Wells, R. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+role+of+matrix+stiffness+in+regulating+cell+behavior.">The role of matrix stiffness in regulating cell behavior.</a> Hepatology. 47, 1394-1400 (2008).</li><li>Pelham, R. J., Wang, Y. -. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+locomotion+and+focal+adhesions+are+regulated+by+substrate+flexibility.">Cell locomotion and focal adhesions are regulated by substrate flexibility.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad Sci USA. 94, 13661-13665 (1997).</li><li>Klein, E. A., Yung, Y., Castagnino, P., Kothapalli, D., Assoian, R. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+adhesion,+cellular+tension,+and+cell+cycle+control.">Cell adhesion, cellular tension, and cell cycle control.</a> Methods Enzymol. 426, 155-175 (2007).</li><li>Klein, E. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell-cycle+control+by+physiological+matrix+elasticity+and+in+vivo+tissue+stiffening.">Cell-cycle control by physiological matrix elasticity and in vivo tissue stiffening.</a> Current Biology. 19, 1511-1518 (2009).</li></ol>

A crucial element of the hydrogel polymerization process is to avoid air bubble formation which will allow cells to bind to the glass coverslip rather than the ECM-coated hydrogel itself. This can be prevented by carefully pipetting the polymerization solution after vortexing and visually making sure that no air bubbles have become trapped in the gel. We always recommend preparing additional "reactive" coverslips and hydrogels to ensure having enough for experimentation.
Particular attention ...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Glutaraldehyde, 70%</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>G7776</td>
<td>Store at -20&deg;C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3-APTMS (3-Aminopropyltrimethosysilane 97%)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>281778</td>
<td>Store at room temperature</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SurfaSil Siliconizing Fluid</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>42800</td>
<td>Store at room temperature</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NHS (N-hydroxysucinimide Ester)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>A-8060</td>
<td>Store at 4&deg;C Replace monthly</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Albumin, bovine serum, essentially fatty acid free</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>A6003-100G</td>
<td>Store at 4&deg;C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Coverslips (25mm)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-545-86 25 Cir 1D</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Coverslips (18mm)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-545-84 18 Cir 1D</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

studying the effects of matrix stiffness on cellular function using acrylamide-based hydrogels

Tissue stiffness is an important determinant of cellular function, and changes in tissue stiffness are commonly associated with fibrosis, cancer and cardiovascular disease1-11. Traditional cell biological approaches to studying cellular function involve culturing cells on a rigid substratum (plastic dishes or glass coverslips) which cannot account for the effect of an elastic ECM or the variations in ECM stiffness between tissues. To model in vivo tissue compliance conditions in vitro, we and others use ECM-coated hydrogels. In our laboratory, the hydrogels are based on polyacrylamide which can mimic the range of tissue compliances seen biologically12. "Reactive" cover slips are generated by incubation with NaOH followed by addition of 3-APTMS. Glutaraldehyde is used to cross-link the 3-APTMS and the polyacrylamide gel. A solution of acrylamide (AC), bis-acrylamide (Bis-AC) and ammonium persulfate is used for the polymerization of the hydrogel. N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) is incorporated into the AC solution to crosslink ECM protein to the hydrogel. Following polymerization of the hydrogel, the gel surface is coated with an ECM protein of choice such as fibronectin, vitronectin, collagen, etc.
The stiffness of a hydrogel can be determined by rheology or atomic force microscopy (AFM) and adjusted by varying the percentage of AC and/or bis-AC in the solution12. In this manner, substratum stiffness can be matched to the stiffness of biological tissues which can also be quantified using rheology or AFM. Cells can then be seeded on these hydrogels and cultured based upon the experimental conditions required. Imaging of the cells and their recovery for molecular analysis is straightforward. For this article, we define soft substrata as those having elastic moduli (E) &lt;3000 Pascal and stiff substrata/tissues as those with E &gt;20,000 Pascal.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Studying the Effects of Matrix Stiffness on Cellular Function using Acrylamide-based Hydrogels at JoVE.com

Studying the Effects of Matrix Stiffness on Cellular Function using Acrylamide-based Hydrogels

The effect of substrata stiffness on cellular function can be modeled in vitro using polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying compliances.

Tissue stiffness is an important determinant of cellular function, and changes in tissue stiffness are commonly associated with fibrosis, cancer and ...

studying-effects-matrix-stiffness-on-cellular-function-using

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

21.9K Views.  University of Pennsylvania. The effect of substrata stiffness on cellular function can be modeled in vitro using polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying compliances.