Abstract:

Objective    To design cyclic stretching loading equipment for cultured cells to simulate the stress environment in vivo. Methods    The stretchingloading equipment consisted of hardware and software which were controlled by computer. The hardware was composed of a vacuum system, control circuit and anti-jamming device, and the software was based on C language. The bottom of the cultured cellular layer was stretched by a MCU-controlled vacuum pump and  solenoid valve, and  therefore,  the cells the adhered to the plate were stretched. This device was further verified through the loading on vascular smooth muscle cells. Results    The loading equipment  control force value, time of stretching and relaxation, and working time were effective;  Vascular smooth muscle cells grew stably on the culture plate and exhibited proliferative activity under loading. Conclusion    The equipment fits well for cyclic stretching-loading on cultured cells in vitro, and will be widely used for tensile mechanical loading of cell mechano-biology.

Key words: Cell culture; Stretching strain; Loading equipment