Supported by NIH grant HD052670.

1. Coating of plates with ECM proteins
<ol>
	<li>Under sterile conditions, mix 120 &mu;g of laminin with 12 ml of cold sterile 1X PBS per plate.</li>
	<li>Take Bioflex untreated plates and add 2ml of the solution to each well (final concentration of laminin is 2 &mu;g/cm2). Alternatively, other ECM proteins could be used, such as collagen-1 [10 &mu;g/cm2], fibronectin [5 &mu;g/cm2], vitronectin [0.5 &mu;g/cm2] or elastin [10 &mu;g/cm2]. The coating technique is similar to what it is described for laminin-coating. Make sure the wells are completely covered by the solution.</li>
	<li>Wrap the plates with plastic and put at 4&deg;C on a flat surface overnight to allow the laminin to adsorb to the bottom of the wells. In these conditions, plates can be stored for at least one week while still retaining good ECM function.</li>
	<li>Next day, under sterile conditions, wash the wells 3 times with 1X PBS.</li>
	<li>Add 1ml of 1% BSA in 1X PBS to each well and incubate at 37&deg;C for 1h to block non-specific binding sites on the membranes.</li>
	<li>Rinse the plates 3 times with 1X PBS to remove unadsorbed proteins.</li>
	<li>Keep the plates at 37&deg;C in DMEM until cells are isolated from step 2.14.</li>
</ol>
2. Isolation of fetal rodent lung type II epithelial cells
The day before isolation have the screen cups with different size nylon meshes autoclaved and ready.
<ol>
	<li>Obtain fetal lungs from timed-pregnant mouse/rat on E17-19 of gestation. Transfer the tissue into a 50 ml conical tube containing DMEM medium and place it on ice.</li>
	<li>Make digestion buffer in a 50 ml conical tube: (10 ml). For this volume, lung tissue from approximately 20 fetuses from mouse/rat is used. 
	8.5 ml DMEM 
	0.5 ml 500mM pH 7.4 HEPES 
	5 mg Collagenase 1 
	5 mg Collagenase 1A 
	1 ml Chicken serum, heat inactivated</li>
	<li>Mix well until all components are dissolved and filter through a 0.2 micron syringe filter inside the sterile hood. Place the conical tube containing the digestion buffer in a water bath at 37&deg;C.</li>
	<li>Remove the DMEM medium from the conical tube from step 2.1 and transfer the tissue into a sterile Petri dish.</li>
	<li>Mince the lungs well with sterile scissors or razor blade to make tissue pieces less than 1 mm and transfer the tissue into the conical tube containing the pre-warmed digestion buffer from step 2.3.</li>
	<li>Digest the tissue by pipetting up and down: 
	100 times with 10 ml pipette 
	100 times with 5 ml pipette 
	100 times with Pasteur pipette</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the homogenate at 1,300 rpm for 5 minutes at room temperature.</li>
	<li>Carefully remove the supernatant by aspiration and re-suspend the pellet containing the cells in 15 ml of DMEM plus 20% FBS.</li>
	<li>Take out the screen cups with 100-, 30- and 15-micron nylon meshes and place them on sterile 150 ml beakers.</li>
	<li>Add cell homogenate from step 2.8 and sequentially filter through 100-, 30-, and 15-micron mesh screen cups.</li>
	<li>Collect clumped non-filtered cells from the 30- and 15-micron meshes after several washes with DMEM plus 10% FBS to facilitate the filtration of non-epithelial cells.</li>
	<li>Discard the filtrate from the 15-micron mesh which contains mostly fibroblasts.</li>
	<li>Purify further type II cells by incubating cells from step 2.11 in 75-cm2 flasks for 30 min (approximatelly10 ml of cell suspension per flask).</li>
	<li>Collect the supernatant and centrifuge at 1,300 rpm for 5 minutes at room temperature to pellet the cells.</li>
	<li>Carefully remove the supernatant by aspiration and re-suspend the pellet containing the cells in serum-free DMEM. The volume of resuspension depends on the amount of tissue processed. Approximately, we plate the equivalent of cells obtained from one fetus in each well (2 ml) in order to achieve between 60-70% confluency the following day.</li>
	<li>Plate the cell suspension on Bioflex six-well plates precoated with laminin or fibronectin.</li>
</ol>
3. Isolation of fetal rodent lung fibroblasts
<ol>
	<li>Follow the same steps described above for type II cells isolation up to 2.11.</li>
	<li>Take the filtrate from the 15-micron mesh (without previous washing; approximate volume is 10-15 ml) and plate onto 75-cm2 at 37&deg;C for 30-60 min to allow fibroblasts to adhere.</li>
	<li>Aspirate the supernantant and replace with serum-free DMEM and incubate overnight.</li>
	<li>Next day, harvest the cells with 0.25% (wt/vol) trypsin in 0.4 mM EDTA and plate them on Bioflex plates precoated with fibronectin.</li>
</ol>
4. Experimental system to provide mechanical stimulation to lung cells
<ol>
	<li>Seed the cells (around 50% confluent) on Bioflex culture plates in serum-free DMEM (2 ml/well) and let them attach and spread for at least 6h before experiments. In general our laboratory maintains cells in culture for around 24h before applying mechanical strain. If a specific number of cells are required for the experiments, after isolation, type II cells are maintained in serum-free DMEM 75-cm2 flasks and the next day, cells are trypsinized, counted and then seeded.</li>
	<li>Next day, media are replaced with fresh serum-free DMEM (2 ml/well) and bioflex plates are mounted in a Flexcell FX-5000 Strain Unit. Monolayers should be no greater than 80% confluent before the initiation of the experiments.</li>
	<li>Equibiaxial strain is applied to the membranes. The regimen of strain varies depending on simulation of mechanical forces in vivo (see discussion).</li>
	<li>Cells grown on non-stretched membranes cultured in parallel are used as controls.</li>
	<li>At the end of the experiments, monolayers can be processed to analyze changes on gene expression (for example surfactant protein C) by real time-PCR, protein abundance by Western blot, etc. Also, monolayers can be fixed for immunocytochemistry experiments. For this technique, after fixation, silastic membranes are cut out from the plates and mounted on glass slides using 10-20 &mu;l of water as a mounting agent before permeabilization and incubation with antibodies. Supernatant can also be used to investigate the presence of growth factors, cytokines, etc.</li>
</ol>
5. Representative Results
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show representative phase-contrast photographs of E18 fetal mouse type II cells isolated using the technique described in this manuscript.
Figure 3 demonstrates that mechanical strain induces differentiation of fetal type II epithelial cells using surfactant protein-C as a marker.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/3543/3543fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. Representative phase-contrast photograph taken right after isolation showing the clumped appearance of fetal type II cells.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/3543/3543fig2.jpg" /> 
Figure 2. E18 fetal type II epithelial cells were isolated as described here and plated on bioflex plates coated with laminin. Photograph was taken the following day after non-stretched cells were fixed in paraformaldehyde. The purity of the cells was determined to be 90 &plusmn; 5% by microscopic analysis of epithelial cell morphology and immunostaining for SP-C.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/3543/3543fig3.jpg" /> 
Figure 3. Fetal type II epithelial cells were exposed to 5% cyclic strain at 40 cycles/min for 16h. A) Northern blot of surfactant protein C (SP-C) mRNA expression showing that strain induces type II cell differentiation using different ECM substrates. +/- signs represent exposure or not to strain, respectively. Data are presented as mean +/- SEM, n=3; * P&lt;0.05. B) Fluorescence immunocytochemistry images demonstrating SP-C protein levels (green) in fetal type II cells exposed or not (control) to mechanical strain . Nuclei were counterstained with dapi (blue). Bar, 10 &mu;m. C) Western blot results from three experiments showing that mechanical stretch increases SP-C protein. N=3; * P&lt;0.05.

<ol>
	<li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Tsai, S. W., Sang, J., Qin, J., Torday, J. S., Rubin, L. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+mechanical+forces+on+lung-specific+gene+expression.">Effects of mechanical forces on lung-specific gene expression.</a> Am. J. Med. Sci. 316, 200-204 (1998).</li><li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Cicchiello, L. A., Wang, Y., Tsai, S. W., Williams, L. K., Torday, J. S., Rubin, L. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanical+stretch+promotes+alveolar+epithelial+type+II+cell+differentiation.">Mechanical stretch promotes alveolar epithelial type II cell differentiation.</a> J. Appl. Physiol. 91, 589-595 (2001).</li><li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Wang, Y., Cicchiello, L. A., Rubin, L. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cyclic+mechanical+stretch+inhibits+cell+proliferation+and+induces+apoptosis+in+fetal+rat+lung+fibroblasts.">Cyclic mechanical stretch inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in fetal rat lung fibroblasts.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 282, L448-L456 (2002).</li><li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Wang, Y., Cicchiello, L. A., Rubin, L. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cyclic+mechanical+stretch+inhibits+cell+proliferation+and+induces+apoptosis+in+fetal+rat+lung+fibroblasts.">Cyclic mechanical stretch inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in fetal rat lung fibroblasts.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 282, L448-L456 (2002).</li><li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Wang, Y., Gruppuso, P. A., Rubin, L. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanical+stretch+induces+fetal+type+II+cell+differentiation+via+an+epidermal+growth+factor+receptor-extracellular-regulated+protein+kinase+signaling+pathway.">Mechanical stretch induces fetal type II cell differentiation via an epidermal growth factor receptor-extracellular-regulated protein kinase signaling pathway.</a> Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 30, 76-83 (2004).</li><li>Wang, Y., Maciejewski, B. S., Lee, N., Silbert, O., McKnight, N. L., Frangos, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Strain-induced+fetal+type+II+epithelial+cell+differentiation+is+mediated+via+cAMP-PKA-dependent+signaling+pathway.">Strain-induced fetal type II epithelial cell differentiation is mediated via cAMP-PKA-dependent signaling pathway.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 291, L820-L827 (2006).</li><li>Sanchez-Esteban, J., Wang, Y., Filardo, E. J., Rubin, L. P., Ingber, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Integrins+{beta}1,+{alpha}6,+and+{alpha}3+contribute+to+mechanical+strain-induced+differentiation+of+fetal+lung+type+II+epithelial+cells+via+distinct+mechanisms.">Integrins {beta}1, {alpha}6, and {alpha}3 contribute to mechanical strain-induced differentiation of fetal lung type II epithelial cells via distinct mechanisms.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 290, L343-L350 (2006).</li><li>Wang, Y., Maciejewski, B. S., Soto-Reyes, D., Lee, H. S., Warburton, D., Sanchez-Esteban, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanical+stretch+promotes+fetal+type+II+epithelial+cell+differentiation+via+shedding+of+HB-EGF+and+TGF-alpha.">Mechanical stretch promotes fetal type II epithelial cell differentiation via shedding of HB-EGF and TGF-alpha.</a> J. Physiol. 587, 1739-1753 (2009).</li><li>Wang, Y., Maciejewski, B. S., Drouillard, D., Santos, M., Hokenson, M. A., Hawwa, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+role+for+caveolin-1+in+mechanotransduction+of+fetal+type+II+epithelial+cells.">A role for caveolin-1 in mechanotransduction of fetal type II epithelial cells.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 298, L775-L783 (2010).</li><li>Lee, H. S., Wang, Y., Maciejewski, B. S., Esho, K., Fulton, C., Sharma, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Interleukin-10+protects+cultured+fetal+rat+type+II+epithelial+cells+from+injury+induced+by+mechanical+stretch.">Interleukin-10 protects cultured fetal rat type II epithelial cells from injury induced by mechanical stretch.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Lung. Cell. Mol. Physiol. 294, L225-L232 (2008).</li><li>Hawwa, R. L., Hokenson, M. A., Wang, Y., Huang, Z., Sharma, S., Sanchez-Esteban, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=IL-10+inhibits+inflammatory+cytokines+released+by+fetal+mouse+lung+fibroblasts+exposed+to+mechanical+stretch.">IL-10 inhibits inflammatory cytokines released by fetal mouse lung fibroblasts exposed to mechanical stretch.</a> Pediatric Pulmonology. , (2011).</li><li>Kitterman, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+effects+of+mechanical+forces+on+fetal+lung+growth.">The effects of mechanical forces on fetal lung growth.</a> Clin. Perinatol. 23, 727-740 (1996).</li><li>Harding, R., Crystal, R. G., West, J. B., Banes, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fetal+breathing+movements.">Fetal breathing movements.</a> The Lung: Scientific Fountations. , 2093-2104 (1997).</li><li>Harding, R., Liggins, G. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Changes+in+thoracic+dimensions+induced+by+breathing+movements+in+fetal+sheep.">Changes in thoracic dimensions induced by breathing movements in fetal sheep.</a> Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 8, 117-124 (1996).</li></ol>

No conflicts of interest declared.

In this manuscript, we describe a method to isolate fetal type II epithelial cells and fibroblasts and to expose them to mechanical stimulation using the Flexcell Strain Apparatus. We have used this technique to assess differentiation of epithelial cells 1,2 and to study receptor and signaling pathways activated by stretch 3-9. In addition, this method can also be used to investigate cell responses induced by mechanical injury 10,11. The procedure is based on digestion of the lung tissue ...

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Name of the reagent</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalogue number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D5648</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H3375</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase 1</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>C0130</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase 1A</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>C9891</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chicken serum</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>C5405</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Screen cups</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>CD1-1KT</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filters</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>09-754-25</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>100 micron nylon mesh</td>
			<td>Small Parts, INC</td>
			<td>CMN-100-D</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30 micron mesh</td>
			<td>Small Parts, INC</td>
			<td>CMN-30-D</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 micron mesh</td>
			<td>Dynamic Aqua-Supply Ltd.</td>
			<td>NTX15</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laminin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>L2020</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagen-1</td>
			<td>Collagen Biomed</td>
			<td>PC0701</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibronectin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>F1141</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vitronectin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>V-0132</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Elastin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>E-6402</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bioflex plate</td>
			<td>Flexcell International</td>
			<td>BF-3001U</td>
			<td>Uncoated</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Flexcell Strain Unit</td>
			<td>Flexcell International</td>
			<td>FX-5000</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

an experimental system to study mechanotransduction in fetal lung cells

Mechanical forces generated in utero by repetitive breathing-like movements and by fluid distension are critical for normal lung development. A key component of lung development is the differentiation of alveolar type II epithelial cells, the major source of pulmonary surfactant. These cells also participate in fluid homeostasis in the alveolar lumen, host defense, and injury repair. In addition, distal lung parenchyma cells can be directly exposed to exaggerated stretch during mechanical ventilation after birth. However, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms by which lung cells sense mechanical stimuli to influence lung development and to promote lung injury are not completely understood. Here, we provide a simple and high purity method to isolate type II cells and fibroblasts from rodent fetal lungs. Then, we describe an in vitro system, The Flexcell Strain Unit, to provide mechanical stimulation to fetal cells, simulating mechanical forces in fetal lung development or lung injury. This experimental system provides an excellent tool to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms in fetal lung cells exposed to stretch. Using this approach, our laboratory has identified several receptors and signaling proteins that participate in mechanotransduction in fetal lung development and lung injury.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Experimental System to Study Mechanotransduction in Fetal Lung Cells at JoVE.com

An Experimental System to Study Mechanotransduction in Fetal Lung Cells

Mechanical forces play a key role in lung development and lung injury. Here, we describe a method to isolate rodent fetal lung type II epithelial cells and fibroblasts and to expose them to mechanical stimulation using an in vitro system.

Mechanical forces generated in utero by repetitive breathing-like movements and by fluid distension are critical for normal lung development. A key ...

an-experimental-system-to-study-mechanotransduction-fetal-lung

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

12.9K Views.  Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Mechanical forces play a key role in lung development and lung injury. Here, we describe a method to isolate rodent fetal lung type II epithelial cells and fibroblasts and to expose them to mechanical stimulation using an in vitro system.

Video: An Experimental System to Study Mechanotransduction in Fetal Lung Cells

Axon Stretch Growth: The Mechanotransduction of Neuronal Growth

During pre-synaptic embryonic development, neuronal processes traverse short distances to reach their targets via growth cone. Over time, neuronal somata are separated from their axon terminals due to skeletal growth of the enlarging organism (Weiss 1941; Gray, Hukkanen et al. 1992). This mechanotransduction induces a secondary mode of neuronal growth capable of accommodating continual elongation of the axon (Bray 1984; Heidemann and Buxbaum 1994; Heidemann, Lamoureux et al. 1995; Pfister, Iwata et al. 2004).
Axon Stretch Growth (ASG) is conceivably a central factor in the maturation of short embryonic processes into the long nerves and white matter tracts characteristic of the adult nervous system. To study ASG in vitro, we engineered bioreactors to apply tension to the short axonal processes of neuronal cultures (Loverde, Ozoka et al. 2011). Here, we detail the methods we use to prepare bioreactors and conduct ASG. First, within each stretching lane of the bioreactor, neurons are plated upon a micro-manipulated towing substrate. Next, neurons regenerate their axonal processes, via growth cone extension, onto a stationary substrate. Finally, stretch growth is performed by towing the plated cell bodies away from the axon terminals adhered to the stationary substrate; recapitulating skeletal growth after growth cone extension.
Previous work has shown that ASG of embryonic rat dorsal root ganglia neurons are capable of unprecedented growth rates up to 10mm/day, reaching lengths of up to 10cm; while concurrently resulting in increased axonal diameters (Smith, Wolf et al. 2001; Pfister, Iwata et al. 2004; Pfister, Bonislawski et al. 2006; Pfister, Iwata et al. 2006; Smith 2009). This is in dramatic contrast to regenerative growth cone extension (in absence of mechanical stimuli) where growth rates average 1mm/day with successful regeneration limited to lengths of less than 3cm (Fu and Gordon 1997; Pfister, Gordon et al. 2011). Accordingly, further study of ASG may help to reveal dysregulated growth mechanisms that limit regeneration in the absence of mechanical stimuli.

A unique tissue engineering method was developed to elongate numerous nerve fibers in culture by recapitulating axon stretch growth; a form of nervous system growth whereby nerves elongate in conjunction with growth of the enlarging body.

During pre-synaptic embryonic development, neuronal processes traverse short distances to reach their targets via growth cone. Over time, neuronal somata ...

Design of a Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor for the Ex Vivo Study of Aortic Heart Valves

The aortic valve, located between the left ventricle and the aorta, allows for unidirectional blood flow, preventing backflow into the ventricle. Aortic valve leaflets are composed of interstitial cells suspended within an extracellular matrix (ECM) and are lined with an endothelial cell monolayer. The valve withstands a harsh, dynamic environment and is constantly exposed to shear, flexion, tension, and compression. Research has shown calcific lesions in diseased valves occur in areas of high mechanical stress as a result of endothelial disruption or interstitial matrix damage1-3. Hence, it is not surprising that epidemiological studies have shown high blood pressure to be a leading risk factor in the onset of aortic valve disease4. 
The only treatment option currently available for valve disease is surgical replacement of the diseased valve with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve5. Improved understanding of valve biology in response to physical stresses would help elucidate the mechanisms of valve pathogenesis. In turn, this could help in the development of non-invasive therapies such as pharmaceutical intervention or prevention. Several bioreactors have been previously developed to study the mechanobiology of native or engineered heart valves6-9. Pulsatile bioreactors have also been developed to study a range of tissues including cartilage10, bone11 and bladder12. The aim of this work was to develop a cyclic pressure system that could be used to elucidate the biological response of aortic valve leaflets to increased pressure loads. 
The system consisted of an acrylic chamber in which to place samples and produce cyclic pressure, viton diaphragm solenoid valves to control the timing of the pressure cycle, and a computer to control electrical devices. The pressure was monitored using a pressure transducer, and the signal was conditioned using a load cell conditioner. A LabVIEW program regulated the pressure using an analog device to pump compressed air into the system at the appropriate rate. The system mimicked the dynamic transvalvular pressure levels associated with the aortic valve; a saw tooth wave produced a gradual increase in pressure, typical of the transvalvular pressure gradient that is present across the valve during diastole, followed by a sharp pressure drop depicting valve opening in systole. The LabVIEW program allowed users to control the magnitude and frequency of cyclic pressure. The system was able to subject tissue samples to physiological and pathological pressure conditions. This device can be used to increase our understanding of how heart valves respond to changes in the local mechanical environment.

Design of a Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor for the Ex Vivo Study of Aortic Heart Valves

A cyclic pressure bioreactor capable of subjecting heart valve tissue to physiological and pathological pressure conditions has been designed. A LabVIEW program allows users to control pressure magnitude, amplitude and frequency. This device can be used to study the mechanobiology of heart valve tissue or isolated cells.

The aortic valve, located between the left ventricle and the aorta, allows for unidirectional blood flow, preventing backflow into the ventricle. Aortic ...

Constructing a Low-budget Laser Axotomy System to Study Axon Regeneration in C. elegans

Laser axotomy followed by time-lapse microscopy is a sensitive assay for axon regeneration phenotypes in C. elegans1. The main difficulty of this assay is the perceived cost ($25-100K) and technical expertise required for implementing a laser ablation system2,3. However, solid-state pulse lasers of modest costs (&lt;$10K) can provide robust performance for laser ablation in transparent preparations where target axons are "close" to the tissue surface. Construction and alignment of a system can be accomplished in a day. The optical path provided by light from the focused condenser to the ablation laser provides a convenient alignment guide. An intermediate module with all optics removed can be dedicated to the ablation laser and assures that no optical elements need be moved during a laser ablation session. A dichroic in the intermediate module allows simultaneous imaging and laser ablation. Centering the laser beam to the outgoing beam from the focused microscope condenser lens guides the initial alignment of the system. A variety of lenses are used to condition and expand the laser beam to fill the back aperture of the chosen objective lens. Final alignment and testing is performed with a front surface mirrored glass slide target. Laser power is adjusted to give a minimum size ablation spot (&lt;1um). The ablation spot is centered with fine adjustments of the last kinematically mounted mirror to cross hairs fixed in the imaging window. Laser power for axotomy will be approximately 10X higher than needed for the minimum ablation spot on the target slide (this may vary with the target you use). Worms can be immobilized for laser axotomy and time-lapse imaging by mounting on agarose pads (or in microfluidic chambers4). Agarose pads are easily made with 10% agarose in balanced saline melted in a microwave. A drop of molten agarose is placed on a glass slide and flattened with another glass slide into a pad approximately 200 um thick (a single layer of time tape on adjacent slides is used as a spacer). A "Sharpie" cap is used to cut out a uniformed diameter circular pad of 13mm. Anesthetic (1ul Muscimol 20mM) and Microspheres (Chris Fang-Yen personal communication) (1ul 2.65% Polystyrene 0.1 um in water) are added to the center of the pad followed by 3-5 worms oriented so they are lying on their left sides. A glass coverslip is applied and then Vaseline is used to seal the coverslip and prevent evaporation of the sample.

Constructing a Low-budget Laser Axotomy System to Study Axon Regeneration in C. elegans

Laser axotomy followed by time-lapse imaging is a sensitive way to assay the effects of mutations in C. elegans on axon regeneration. A high quality, but inexpensive, laser ablation system can be easily added to most microscopes. Time lapse imaging over 15 hours requires careful immobilization of the worm.

Laser axotomy followed by time-lapse microscopy is a sensitive assay for axon regeneration phenotypes in C. elegans1.  The main difficulty of this assay ...

Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Study Conformational Changes in Membrane Proteins Expressed in Mammalian Cells

Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer, or LRET, is a powerful technique used to measure distances between two sites in proteins within the distance range of 10-100 &#197;. By measuring the distances under various ligated conditions, conformational changes of the protein can be easily assessed. With LRET, a lanthanide, most often chelated terbium, is used as the donor fluorophore, affording advantages such as a longer donor-only emission lifetime, the flexibility to use multiple acceptor fluorophores, and the opportunity to detect sensitized acceptor emission as an easy way to measure energy transfer without the risk of also detecting donor-only signal. Here, we describe a method to use LRET on membrane proteins expressed and assayed on the surface of intact mammalian cells. We introduce a protease cleavage site between the LRET fluorophore pair. After obtaining the original LRET signal, cleavage at that site removes the specific LRET signal from the protein of interest allowing us to quantitatively subtract the background signal that remains after cleavage. This method allows for more physiologically relevant measurements to be made without the need for purification of protein.

We describe here an improved Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (LRET) method where we introduce a protease cleavage site between the donor and acceptor fluorophore sites. This modification allows us to obtain specific LRET signals arising from membrane proteins of interest, allowing for the study of membrane proteins without protein purification.

Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer, or LRET, is a powerful technique used to measure distances between two sites in proteins within the distance range ...

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip

The behavior of directional cell migration under a direct current electric-field (dcEF) is referred to as electrotaxis. The significant role of physiological dcEF in guiding cell movement during embryo development, cell differentiation, and wound healing has been demonstrated in many studies. By applying microfluidic chips to an electrotaxis assay, the investigation process is shortened and experimental errors are minimized. In recent years, microfluidic devices made of polymeric substances (e.g., polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA, or acrylic) or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been widely used in studying the responses of cells to electrical stimulation. However, unlike the numerous steps required to fabricate a PDMS device, the simple and rapid construction of the acrylic micro&#64258;uidic chip makes it suitable for both device prototyping and production. Yet none of the reported devices facilitate the efficient study of the simultaneous chemical and dcEF effects on cells. In this report, we describe our design and fabrication of an acrylic-based multichannel dual-electric-field (MDF) chip to investigate the concurrent effect of chemical and electrical stimulation on lung cancer cells. The MDF chip provides eight combinations of electrical/chemical stimulations in a single test. The chip not only greatly shortens the required experimental time but also increases accuracy in electrotaxis studies.

Many microfluidic devices have been developed for use in the study of electrotaxis. Yet, none of these chips allows the efficient study of the simultaneous chemical and electric-field (EF) effects on cells. We developed a polymethylmethacrylate-based device that offers better-controlled coexisting EF and chemical stimulation for use in electrotaxis research.

The behavior of directional cell migration under a direct current electric-field (dcEF) is referred to as electrotaxis. The significant role of ...

Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. Due to this complexity, recapitulation of lung development in vitro to promote differentiation of stem cells to lung epithelial cells has been challenging. In this protocol, decellularized lung scaffolds are used to mimic the 3-dimensional environment of the lung and generate stem cell-derived airway epithelial cells. Mouse embryonic stem cell are first differentiated to the endoderm lineage using an embryoid body (EB) culture method with activin A. Endoderm cells are then seeded onto decellularized scaffolds and cultured at air-liquid interface for up to 21 days. This technique promotes differentiation of seeded cells to functional airway epithelial cells (ciliated cells, club cells, and basal cells) without additional growth factor supplementation. This culture setup is defined, serum-free, inexpensive, and reproducible. Although there is limited contamination from non-lung endoderm lineages in culture, this protocol only generates airway epithelial populations and does not give rise to alveolar epithelial cells. Airway epithelia generated with this protocol can be used to study cell-matrix interactions during lung organogenesis and for disease modeling or drug-discovery platforms of airway-related pathologies such as cystic fibrosis.

This protocol efficiently directs mouse embryonic stem cell-derived definitive endoderm to mature airway epithelial cells. This differentiation technique uses 3-dimensional decellularized lung scaffolds to direct lung lineage specification, in a defined, serum-free culture setting.

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and ...

An Experimental Protocol for Assessing the Performance of New Ultrasound Probes Based on CMUT Technology in Application to Brain Imaging

The possibility to perform an early and repeatable assessment of imaging performance is fundamental in the design and development process of new ultrasound (US) probes. Particularly, a more realistic analysis with application-specific imaging targets can be extremely valuable to assess the expected performance of US probes in their potential clinical field of application.
The experimental protocol presented in this work was purposely designed to provide an application-specific assessment procedure for newly-developed US probe prototypes based on Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) technology in relation to brain imaging.
The protocol combines the use of a bovine brain fixed in formalin as the imaging target, which ensures both realism and repeatability of the described procedures, and of neuronavigation techniques borrowed from neurosurgery. The US probe is in fact connected to a motion tracking system which acquires position data and enables the superposition of US images to reference Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of the brain. This provides a means for human experts to perform a visual qualitative assessment of the US probe imaging performance and to compare acquisitions made with different probes. Moreover, the protocol relies on the use of a complete and open research and development system for US image acquisition, i.e. the Ultrasound Advanced Open Platform (ULA-OP) scanner.
The manuscript describes in detail the instruments and procedures involved in the protocol, in particular for&#160;the calibration, image acquisition and registration of US and MR images. The obtained results prove the effectiveness of the overall protocol presented, which is entirely open (within the limits of the instrumentation involved), repeatable, and covers the entire set of acquisition and processing activities for US images.

The development of new ultrasound (US) probes based on Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) technology requires an early realistic assessment of imaging capabilities. We describe a repeatable experimental protocol for US image acquisition and comparison with magnetic resonance images, using an ex vivo bovine brain as an imaging target.

The possibility to perform an early and repeatable assessment of imaging performance is fundamental in the design and development process of new ...

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Mechanical properties of complex, polymer-based soft matter, such as cells or biopolymer networks, can be understood in neither the classical frame of flexible polymers nor of rigid rods. Underlying filaments remain outstretched due to their non-vanishing backbone stiffness, which is quantified via the persistence length (lp), but they are also subject to strong thermal fluctuations. Their finite bending stiffness leads to unique, non-trivial collective mechanics of bulk networks, enabling the formation of stable scaffolds at low volume fractions while providing large mesh sizes. This underlying principle is prevalent in nature (e.g., in cells or tissues), minimizing the high molecular content and thereby facilitating diffusive or active transport. Due to their biological implications and potential technological applications in biocompatible hydrogels, semiflexible polymers have been subject to considerable study. However, comprehensible investigations remained challenging since they relied on natural polymers, such as actin filaments, which are not freely tunable. Despite these limitations and due to the lack of synthetic, mechanically tunable, and semiflexible polymers, actin filaments were established as the common model system. A major limitation is that the central quantity lp cannot be freely tuned to study its impact on macroscopic bulk structures. This limitation was resolved by employing structurally programmable DNA nanotubes, enabling controlled alteration of the filament stiffness. They are formed through tile-based designs, where a discrete set of partially complementary strands hybridize in a ring structure with a discrete circumference. These rings feature sticky ends, enabling the effective polymerization into filaments several microns in length, and display similar polymerization kinetics as natural biopolymers. Due to their programmable mechanics, these tubes are versatile, novel tools to study the impact of lp on the single-molecule as well as the bulk scale. In contrast to actin filaments, they remain stable over weeks, without notable degeneration, and their handling is comparably straightforward.

Semiflexible polymers display unique mechanical properties that are extensively applied by living systems. However, systematic studies on biopolymers are limited since properties such as polymer rigidity are inaccessible. This manuscript describes how this limitation is circumvented by programmable DNA nanotubes, enabling experimental studies on the impact of filament rigidity.

Mechanical properties of complex, polymer-based soft matter, such as cells or biopolymer networks, can be understood in neither the classical frame of ...

An Orbital Shaking Culture of Mammalian Cells in O-shaped Vessels to Produce Uniform Aggregates

Suspension cultures of mammalian cell aggregates are required for various applications in medical and biotechnological fields. The disposable bag-based method is one of the simplest techniques for the mass production of cellular aggregates, but it does not protect the cultures against over-aggregation, which occurs when they gather at the bottom center of the culture vessel. To solve this problem, we developed an O-shaped dish and an O-shaped bag, neither of which contains a central region. Aggregates grown in either O-shaped culture vessel were noticeably more uniform in size than aggregates grown in conventional vessels. Histological analyses showed that aggregates in conventional culture dishes contained necrotic cores most likely caused by a poor oxygen supply. In contrast, aggregates that were grown in the O-shaped bag, even those with similar diameters to aggregates in conventional culture dishes, did not show necrotic cores. These results suggest that the O-shaped bag provides sufficient oxygen to the aggregates due to the oxygen permeability of the bag material. We, therefore, propose that this novel gas-permeable O-shaped culture bag is suitable for the mass production of uniform aggregates that are necessary in various biotechnological fields.

Here we present a protocol for using O-shaped vessels, specialized for suspension cultures of cellular aggregates, with orbital shaking. The HEK293 cells grown in this bag form more homogeneous aggregates than those grown in conventional culture vessels.

Suspension cultures of mammalian cell aggregates are required for various applications in medical and biotechnological fields. The disposable bag-based ...

A Novel Surgical Technique As a Foundation for In Vivo Partial Liver Engineering in Rat

Organ engineering is a novel strategy to generate liver organ substitutes that can potentially be used in transplantation. Recently, in vivo liver engineering, including in vivo organ decellularization followed by repopulation, has emerged as a promising approach over ex vivo liver engineering. However, postoperative survival was not achieved. The aim of this study is to develop a novel surgical technique of in vivo selective liver lobe perfusion in rats as a prerequisite for in vivo liver engineering. We generate a circuit bypass only through the left lateral lobe. Then, the left lateral lobe is perfused with heparinized saline. The experiment is performed with 4 groups (n = 3 rats per group) based on different perfusion times of 20 min, 2 h, 3 h, and 4 h. Survival, as well as the macroscopically visible change of color and the histologically determined absence of blood cells in the portal triad and the sinusoids, is taken as an indicator for a successful model establishment. After selective perfusion of the left lateral lobe, we observe that the left lateral lobe, indeed, turned from red to faint yellow. In a histological assessment, no blood cells are visible in the branch of the portal vein, the central vein, and the sinusoids. The left lateral lobe turns red after reopening the blocked vessels. 12/12 rats survived the procedure for more than one week. We are the first to report a surgical model for in vivo single liver lobe perfusion with a long survival period of more than one week. In contrast to the previously published report, the most important advantage of the technique presented here is that perfusion of 70% of the liver is maintained throughout the whole procedure. The establishment of this technique provides a foundation for in vivo partial liver engineering in rats, including decellularization and recellularization.

A Novel Surgical Technique As a Foundation for In Vivo Partial Liver Engineering in Rat

We establish a novel surgical technique for an in vivo single liver lobe perfusion model in rat as a prerequisite for further studying in vivo partial liver engineering in the future.