Automated leukocyte processing by microfluidic deterministic lateral displacement.

We previously developed a Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD) microfluidic method in silicon to separate cells of various sizes from blood (Davis et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 2006;103:14779-14784; Huang et al., Science 2004;304:987-990). Here, we present the reduction-to-practice of this technology with a commercially produced, high precision plastic microfluidic chip-based device designed for automated preparation of human leukocytes (white blood cells; WBCs) for flow cytometry, without centrifugation or manual handling of samples. After a human blood sample was incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the mixture was input to a DLD microfluidic chip (microchip) where it was driven through a micropost array designed to deflect WBCs via DLD on the basis of cell size from the Input flow stream into a buffer stream, thus separating WBCs and any larger cells from smaller cells and particles and washing them simultaneously. We developed a microfluidic cell processing protocol that recovered 88% (average) of input WBCs and removed 99.985% (average) of Input erythrocytes (red blood cells) and >99% of unbound mAb in 18 min (average). Flow cytometric evaluation of the microchip Product, with no further processing, lysis or centrifugation, revealed excellent forward and side light scattering and fluorescence characteristics of immunolabeled WBCs. These results indicate that cost-effective plastic DLD microchips can speed and automate leukocyte processing for high quality flow cytometry analysis, and suggest their utility for multiple other research and clinical applications involving enrichment or depletion of common or rare cell types from blood or tissue samples. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Stimulated calcium entry and constitutive RhoA kinase activity cause stretch-induced detrusor contraction.

Urinary bladder wall muscle (i.e., detrusor smooth muscle; DSM) contracts in response to a quick-stretch, but this response is neither fully characterized, nor completely understood at the subcellular level. Strips of rabbit DSM were quick-stretched (5 ms) and held isometric for 10 s to measure the resulting peak quick-stretch contractile response (PQSR). The ability of selective Ca(2+) channel blockers and kinase inhibitors to alter the PQSR was measured, and the phosphorylation levels of myosin light chain (MLC) and myosin phosphatase targeting regulatory subunit (MYPT1) were recorded. DSM responded to a quick-stretch with a biphasic response consisting of an initial contraction peaking at 0.24+/-0.02-fold the maximum KCl-induced contraction (F(o)) by 1.48+/-0.17 s (PQSR) before falling to a weaker tonic (10 s) level (0.12+/-0.03-fold F(o)). The PQSR was dependent on the rate and degree of muscle stretch, displayed a refractory period, and was converted to a sustained response in the presence of muscarinic receptor stimulation. The PQSR was inhibited by nifedipine, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), 100 microM gadolinium and Y-27632, but not by atropine, 10 microM gadolinium, LOE-908, cyclopiazonic acid, or GF-109203X. Y-27632 and nifedipine abolished the increase in MLC phosphorylation induced by a quick-stretch. Y-27632, but not nifedipine, inhibited basal MYPT1 phosphorylation, and a quick-stretch failed to increase phosphorylation of this rhoA kinase (ROCK) substrate above the basal level. These data support the hypothesis that constitutive ROCK activity is required for a quick-stretch to activate Ca(2+) entry and cause a myogenic contraction of DSM.

Microencapsulated rabbit adipose stem cells initiate tissue regeneration in a rabbit ear defect model.

Cell-based tissue engineering can promote cartilage tissue regeneration, but cell retention in the implant site post-delivery is problematic. Alginate microbeads containing adipose stem cells (ASCs) pretreated with chondrogenic media have been used successfully to regenerate hyaline cartilage in critical size defects in rat xiphoid suggesting that they may be used to treat defects in elastic cartilages such as the ear. To test this, we used microbeads made with low viscosity, high mannuronate medical grade alginate using a high electrostatic potential, and a calcium cross linking solution containing glucose. Microbeads containing rabbit ASCs (rbASCs) were implanted bilaterally in 3 mm critical size midcartilage ear defects of six skeletally mature male New Zealand White rabbits (empty defect; microbeads without cells; microbeads with cells; degradable microbeads with cells; and autograft). Twelve weeks post-implantation, regeneration was assessed by microCT and histology. Microencapsulated rbASCs cultured in chondrogenic media expressed mRNAs for aggrecan, Type II collagen, and Type X collagen. Histologically, empty defects contained fibrous tissue; microbeads without cells were still present in defects and were surrounded by fibrous tissue; nondegradable beads with rbASCs initiated cartilage regeneration; degradable microbeads with cells produced immature bone-like tissue, also demonstrated by microCT; and autografts appeared as normal auricular cartilage but were not fully integrated with the tissue surrounding the defect. Elastin, the hallmark of auricular cartilage, was not evident in the neocartilage. This delivery system offers the potential for regeneration of auricular cartilage, but vascularity of the treatment site and use of factors that induce elastin must be considered.

Mineralization of three-dimensional osteoblast cultures is enhanced by the interaction of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and BMP2 via two specific vitamin D receptors.

1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) are both used to stimulate osteoblastic differentiation. 1α,25(OH)2D3 regulates osteoblasts through classical steroid hormone receptor mechanisms and through rapid responses that are mediated by two receptors, the traditional vitamin D receptor (VDR) and protein disulphide isomerase family A member 3 (Pdia3). The interaction between 1α,25(OH)2D3 and BMP2, especially in three-dimensional (3D) culture, and the roles of the two vitamin D receptors in this interaction are not well understood. We treated wild-type (WT), Pdia3-silenced (Sh-Pdia3) and VDR-silenced (Sh-VDR) pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells with either 1α,25(OH)2D3, or BMP2, or with 1α,25(OH)2D3 and BMP2 together, and measured osteoblast marker expression in 2D culture and mineralization in a 3D poly(ε-caprolactone)-collagen scaffold model. Quantitative PCR showed that silencing Pdia3 or VDR had a differential effect on baseline expression of osteoblast markers. 1α,25(OH)2D3 + BMP2 caused a synergistic increase in osteoblast marker expression in WT cells, while silencing either Pdia3 or VDR attenuated this effect. 1α,25(OH)2D3 + BMP2 also caused a synergistic increase in Dlx5 in both silenced cell lines. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) showed that the mineralized volume of untreated Sh-Pdia3 and Sh-VDR 3D cultures was greater than that of WT. 1α,25(OH)2D3 reduced mineral in WT and Sh-VDR cultures; BMP2 increased mineralization; and 1α,25(OH)2D3 + BMP2 caused a synergistic increase, but only in WT cultures. SEM showed that mineralized matrix morphology in 3D cultures differed for silenced cells compared to WT cells. These data indicate a synergistic crosstalk between 1α,25(OH)2D3 and BMP2 toward osteogenesis and mineral deposition, involving both VDR and Pdia3.

Effect of cell origin and timing of delivery for stem cell-based bone tissue engineering using biologically functionalized hydrogels.

Despite progress in bone tissue engineering, the healing of critically sized diaphyseal defects remains a clinical challenge. A stem cell-based approach is an attractive alternative to current treatment techniques. The objective of this study was to examine the ability of adult stem cells to enhance bone formation when co-delivered with the osteoinductive factor bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in a biologically functionalized hydrogel. First, adipose and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs and BMMSCs) were screened for their potential to form bone when delivered in an RGD functionalized alginate hydrogel using a subcutaneous implant model. BMMSCs co-delivered with BMP-2 produced significantly more mineralized tissue compared with either ADSCs co-delivered with BMP-2 or acellular hydrogels containing BMP-2. Next, the ability of BMMSCs to heal a critically sized diaphyseal defect with a nonhealing dose of BMP-2 was tested using the alginate hydrogel as an injectable cell carrier. The effect of timing of therapeutic delivery on bone regeneration was also tested in the diaphyseal model. A 7 day delayed injection of the hydrogel into the defect site resulted in less mineralized tissue formation than immediate delivery of the hydrogel. By 12 weeks, BMMSC-loaded hydrogels produced significantly more bone than acellular constructs regardless of immediate or delayed treatment. For immediate delivery, bridging of defects treated with BMMSC-loaded hydrogels occurred at a rate of 75% compared with a 33% bridging rate for acellular-treated defects. No bridging was observed in any of the delayed delivery samples for any of the groups. Therefore, for this cell-based bone tissue engineering approach, immediate delivery of constructs leads to an overall enhanced healing response compared with delayed delivery techniques. Further, these studies demonstrate that co-delivery of adult stem cells, specifically BMMSCs, with BMP-2 enhances bone regeneration in a critically sized femoral segmental defect compared with acellular hydrogels containing BMP-2.

Effects of resveratrol on enrichment of adipose-derived stem cells and their differentiation to osteoblasts in two-and three-dimensional cultures.

The goal of this study was to develop a method for increasing the yield of multipotent adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) from subcutaneous fat. After removing mature adipocytes and haematopoietic cells from rat inguinal fat, ASCs in the remaining cell population were verified by their attachment to plastic, surface marker profile (CD271(+), CD73(+) and CD45(-)) and ability to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts. OPCs were defined as E11(+) and OCN(+). Adherent cells were cultured in growth medium (GM) or osteogenic medium (OM) and treated with resveratrol (0, 12.5, and 25 µM) for 7 days; ASCs and OPCs were assessed by flow cytometry. Osteogenic potential was determined in two-dimensional (2D) cultures as a function of alkaline phosphatase-specific activity and osteocalcin production. In addition, cells were seeded onto three-dimensional (3D) poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds and cultured under dynamic conditions; mineralization was quantified by micro-CT at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Resveratrol increased the percentage of ASCs in the population (population%) and number of ASCs in both GM and OM, but increased only the number of OPCs in GM. In both media types resveratrol increased alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin levels. In 3D cultures, resveratrol-treated cells significantly increased mineralized matrix volume at early time points. Resveratrol exerted a biphasic effect on adherent cells by enriching the ASC and OPC populations and enhancing osteogenic differentiation. Resveratrol pretreatment induced more mineralization at earlier time points and represents a clinically viable technique for orthopaedic and dental applications for autologous stem cell therapy.

Resveratrol effect on osteogenic differentiation of rat and human adipose derived stem cells in a 3-D culture environment.

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol treatment on the osteogenic potential of human and rat adipose derived stem cells in a 3-D culture environment. Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been widely studied and have shown promise as a potential source of osteogenic progenitor cells. Previous work had investigated the effect of 25 µM resveratrol on the osteogenic differentiation of rat ADSCs in a 3-D environment and found that pre-treating cells for one passage prior to seeding on the scaffold yielded significantly more mineralization than untreated cells. We first sought to investigate whether this result was also observable with human ADSCs and found that the human cells did not respond to 25 µM resveratrol in a positive manner suggesting a species specific difference in resveratrol dosage. Therefore, we next investigated multiple doses at or below 25 µM resveratrol for both rat and human ADSCs. We found that doses below 25 µM caused significantly more mineralization than 0 (untreated) and 25 µM treated cells in a 3-D culture environment. Further, we observed species differences in the total amount of mineralized matrix, as well as the mean mineral density suggesting that the nature of mineralization of the extracellular matrix was different between species. Histological examination of the scaffolds showed that the human cell constructs remain highly cellular in nature with small pockets of mineralization, while rat cell constructs showed much larger and more mature mineralized nodules. Taken together, we demonstrate dose dependent differences in the mineralization response of human and rat ADSCs to resveratrol treatment, suggesting that in vitro pre-conditioning of 3D adipose-derived stem cell constructs may be an effective strategy to promote osteogenic differentiation prior to implantation.