Abstract
1. IntroductionIn the field of the tissue engineering, there is a demand for reconstructing organs because of the donor shortage. However, capillary networks are essential for the maintenance of organs because they deliver nutrients and oxygen. In particular, it is necessary to form capillary anastomosis for constructing a large capillary network. Here, we investigated culture conditions to achieve capillary anastomosis in a microfluidic device. 2. MethodsWe used microfluidic devices. The central channel was filled with collagen/fibrin gel, while side channels were filled with cell suspension to coculture human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). HUVECs were seeded on one side of the gel and HUVECs and MSCs mixtures at the ratio of 2:8, 5:5, 8:2 were seeded on the other side. 3. Results and DiscussionsOn the condition of HUVECs and MSCs at the ratio of 2:8, capillary anastomosis and networks were well established on day 10 which was partially covered with pericytes. This result suggests that the interaction between HUVECs and MSCs is important for regulating capillary anastomosis. Further investigations will be needed to elucidate the detailed mechanism of anastomosis.
