Mechanical stimulator of cultured vascular endothelial cell for investigation of drug permeability of blood vessel

We prepare a microdevice to investigate effects of mechanical stress on permeability of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) toward further progress of nano-medicine such as DDS. An array of cell culture channels as pseudo blood vessels is integrated onto a stretching stimulator (Fig. 1). The stretching stimulator has serially connected pneumatic balloon arrays and generates strain gradation by swelling balloons all together. ECs are cultured on pneumatic balloons in a cell culture channel. Pneumatic balloons are coated by collagen gel to provide cell culture environment and detect fluorescence by transmitted material. This paper reports developed mechanical stimulator for investigation of cellular behavior.