| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 微機電系統工程研究所 === 93 === In recent years, the fast progress of tissue engineering and neuro-sciences enhances the research of nerve regeneration. In the research of nerve regeneration process, morphological change and biochemical reaction had been investigated widely, but the mechanical properties and effects of physical stimulations to growth of neural cells remains unclear. To achieve this goal, an effective experimental technique should be developed to measure the mechanical properties of living cells.
In this work, the NIH 3T3 fibroblast was utilized for developing the technique, because mechanical properties of this cell are well known. The technique developed will be applied for neurons in next stage of development. An atomic force microscope system with two control modes was employed to measure the topography and the elastograph of the cell. The Young’s modulus was calculated by using the Hertz model.
Based on the elastograph the domain of the cell could be separated into three regions, namely, nucleus, cell body and edge. Two experiments are designed to measure the adhesion of 3T3 cells on different substrates and the change of elasticity when the cell is subjected to 10% compression strain.
The results showed that the Young’s modulus of cell depends on both the mechanical properties and hydrophilism of substrate. Cells are most stiff when cultured on PDMS film, then silicone rubber film and plastic dish. Cells have largest peak adhesion force when cultured on plastic dish, then silicone rubber film and PDMS film. Young’s modulus distribution of compressed cells is directional dependant, i.e., decreasing in transverse section while increasing in the longitudinal section when compared with uncompressed cells.
The trend of our results is in good agreement with the theory of cell biology, although values of the Young’s moduli are higher then those of other studies. An effective and reliable method for measuring the elastograph of living cells has been developed which may be applied for further studies on neural cells.
|
|---|
