Endothelial cells (ECs) line the inner surfaces of arteries and affect the attachment of arteriosclerosis-causing plaque. Elongated ECs are resistant to plaque attachment, while rounded ECs are more prone to development of the disease. Therefore, there is a critical need for elucidating the potential role of shape in regulating EC function. Towards this goal, a microinstrument was designed and fabricated to study the growth of EC's under controlled flow and perfusion conditions. This work was performed by Bonne Gray in collaboration with Dr. Abdul Barakat's (http://mae.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/barakat/barakat.html) Biofluid and Cellular Mechanics Laboratory, (http://www-mae.engr.ucdavis.edu/mae_research_biof.html)
Publication:
B.L. Gray, A.I. Barakat, D.K. Lieu, S.D. Collins, and R.L. Smith, "Modular
Microinstrumentation for Endothelial Cell Research", Proc. SPIE Photonics West,
San Jose, January 2000, V3912, pp. 88 - 94.
Microchannel modules are fabricated by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and silicon-to-glass bonding. The port modules allow fluid access to cells plated in the microchannels. The instrument measures less than 3 cm2 and is completely modular, i.e. it can be taken apart and reassembled. Inserts show closeups of the tubing to microchannel fluidic I/O modules.
Left photograph show the shape of endothelial cells (ECs) grown on plastic sheets used for control. Right set of photographs show the elongation of endothelial cells in progressively small microchannels.
Photographs of a EC monolayer in a 200 micron wide microchannel subjected to a steady fluid mechanical shear stress of 2 N/m2: a) at 0 hour time point; b) after 6 hours; c) 12 hours; d) 16 hours. Cells begin significantly elongating after about12 hours of shear stress.
The Micro Instruments & Systems Laboratory
part of the Laboratory for Surface Science & Technology
A Member of the University of Maine System
