title: Microstructuring of multiwell plates for three-dimensional cell culture applications by ultrasonic embossing.
abstract: Since three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models better reflect tissues in vivo in terms of cell shape and microenvironment compared to conventional monolayer cultures, 3D tissue culture substrates gain more importance for a wide range of biological applications like drug discovery, toxicological studies, cancer and stem cell research. In this study we developed a method for the fabrication of 3D cell culture substrates in a multiwell plate format by microstructuring the bottom of 96-well cell culture plates using an ultrasonic embossing process. The resulting microstructured area consists of cubic microcavities in which adherent multicellular aggregates can be formed. We performed the biological evaluation of the system with the liver-derived human cell-line HepG2 and compared the novel substrate with a commercially available 3D culture system comprising porous alginate sponges. Metabolic activity (alamarBlue® reduction) and induction of four biotransformation enzymes (EROD, ECOD, UGT, SULT) were determined by fluorimetry or HPLC. Our results revealed that HepG2 cells in microstructured plates showed a higher mitochondrial activity, as well as enzyme activity of ECOD and UGT after treatment with an inducer when compared to cells cultured in alginate sponges at otherwise comparable conditions. Since we have modified standard cell culture plates, the obtained system is adaptable to automated screening and might be useful for all kinds of cultures including adult, progenitor and stem cells which need a 3D culture configuration to restore or maintain the differentiated status.
authors: Institute for Biological Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus North, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany. brigitte.altmann@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: Altmann
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Ahrens
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Welle
authors: Heinz
authors: H
authors: Dinglreiter
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Schneider
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Schober
mesh_terms: D015660:7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D001711:Biotransformation; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D048430:Cell Shape; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004867:Equipment Design; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D015660:7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D015238:Sulfotransferases