A New In Vitro Co-Culture Model Using Magnetic Force-Based Nanotechnology.

Skeletal myoblast (SkMB) transplantation has been conducted as a therapeutic strategy for severe heart failure. However, arrhythmogenicity following transplantation remains unsolved. We developed an in vitro model of myoblast transplantation with "patterned" or "randomly-mixed" co-culture of SkMBs and cardiomyocytes enabling subsequent electrophysiological, and arrhythmogenic evaluation. SkMBs were magnetically labeled with magnetite nanoparticles and co-cultured with neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) on multi-electrode arrays. SkMBs were patterned by a magnet beneath the arrays. Excitation synchronicity was evaluated by Ca(2+) imaging using a gene-encoded Ca(2+) indicator, G-CaMP2. In the monoculture of NRVMs (control), conduction was well-organized. In the randomly-mixed co-culture of NRVMs and SkMBs (random group), there was inhomogeneous conduction from multiple origins. In the "patterned" co-culture where an en bloc SKMB-layer was inserted into the NRVM-layer, excitation homogenously propagated although conduction was distorted by the SkMB-area. The 4-mm distance conduction time (CT) in the random group was significantly longer (197 ± 126 ms) than in control (17 ± 3 ms). In the patterned group, CT through NRVM-area did not change (25 ± 3 ms), although CT through the SkMB-area was significantly longer (132 ± 77 ms). The intervals between spontaneous excitation varied beat-to-beat in the random group, while regular beating was recorded in the control and patterned groups. Synchronized Ca(2+) transients of NRVMs were observed in the patterned group, whereas those in the random group were asynchronous. Patterned alignment of SkMBs is feasible with magnetic nanoparticles. Using the novel in vitro model mimicking cell transplantation, it may become possible to predict arrhythmogenicity due to heterogenous cell transplantation. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2249-2256, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of RGD peptide-conjugated magnetite cationic liposomes on cell growth and cell sheet harvesting.

Tissue engineering requires novel technologies for establishing 3D constructs, and the layered method of culturing cell sheets (cell sheet engineering) is one potentially useful approach. In the present study, we investigated whether coating the culture surface with RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide-conjugated magnetite cationic liposomes (RGD-MCLs) was able to facilitate cell growth, cell sheet construction and cell sheet harvest using magnetic force without enzymatic treatment. To promote cell attachment, an RGD-motif-containing peptide was coupled to the phospholipid of our original magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs). The RGD-MCLs were added to a commercially available 24-well ultra-low-attachment plate the surface of which comprised a covalently bound hydrogel layer that was hydrophilic and neutrally charged. A magnet was placed on the underside of the well in order to attract the RGD-MCLs to the surface of the well, and then NIH/3T3 cells were seeded into the well. Cells adhered to the bottom of the culture surface, which was coated with RGD-MCLs, and the cells spread and proliferated to confluency. After incubation, the magnet was removed and the cells were detached from the bottom of the plates, forming a contiguous cell sheet. Because the sheets contained magnetite nanoparticles, they could be harvested using a magnet inserted into the well. These results suggest that this novel methodology using RGD-MCLs and magnetic force, which we have termed 'magnetic force-based tissue engineering (Mag-TE)', is a promising approach for tissue engineering.

Novel methodology for fabrication of tissue-engineered tubular constructs using magnetite nanoparticles and magnetic force.

Novel technologies for creating three-dimensional constructs with complex shapes would be highly useful in tissue engineering. In the present study, tubular structures were constructed using magnetic force. Magnetite nanoparticles in cationic liposomes were taken up by target cells. The magnetically labeled cells were seeded onto ultralow-attachment plates, and a magnet was placed under the wells. After 24 h of culture, the magnetically labeled cells formed a cell sheet. Subsequently, when a cylindrical magnet was rolled onto the cell sheet, the cell sheet was attracted to the magnet and formed a tube around it. The magnet was then removed, leaving behind a tubular structure. Two types of tissue were used to create tubular structures: urinary tissue, consisting of a monotypic urothelial cell layer; and vascular tissue, consisting of heterotypic layers of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. The present results suggest that this novel methodology using magnetite nanoparticles and magnetic force, which we have termed "magnetic force-based tissue engineering" (Mag-TE), is a promising approach to constructing tissue-engineered tubular structures.