title: A multishear microfluidic device for quantitative analysis of calcium dynamics in osteoblasts.
abstract: Microfluidics is a convenient platform to study the influences of fluid shear stress on calcium dynamics. Fluidic shear stress has been proven to affect bone cell functions and remodelling. We have developed a microfluidic system which can generate four shear flows in one device as a means to study cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) dynamics of osteoblasts. Four shear forces were achieved by having four cell culture chambers with different widths while resistance correction channels compensated for the overall resistance to allow equal flow distribution towards the chambers. Computational simulation of the local shear stress distribution highlighted the preferred section in the cell chamber to measure the calcium dynamics. Osteoblasts showed an [Ca(2+)](c) increment proportional to the intensity of the shear stress from 0.03 to 0.30 Pa. A delay in response was observed with an activation threshold between 0.03 and 0.06 Pa. With computational modelling, our microfluidic device can offer controllable multishear stresses and perform quantitative comparisons of shear stress-induced intensity change of calcium in osteoblasts.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics School, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, China.
authors.forename: Songzi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Leiting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Noort
authors.forename: Guixian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jingjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Imshik
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium