Microfluidic Electroceuticals Platform for Therapeutic Strategies of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells under Inflammatory Conditions

Abstract

The degeneration of an intervertebral disc (IVD) is a major cause of lower back pain. IVD degeneration is characterized by the abnormal expression of inflammatory cytokines and matrix degradation enzymes secreted by IVD cells. In addition, macrophage-mediated inflammation is strongly associated with IVD degeneration. However, the precise pathomechanisms of macrophage-mediated inflammation in IVD are still unknown. In this study, we developed a microfluidic platform integrated with an electrical stimulation (ES) array to investigate macrophage-mediated inflammation in human nucleus pulposus (NP). This platform provides multiple cocultures of different cell types with ES. We observed macrophage-mediated inflammation and considerable migration properties via upregulated expression of interleukin (IL)-6 (p < 0.001), IL-8 (p < 0.05), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 (p < 0.05), and MMP-3 (p < 0.05) in human NP cells cocultured with macrophages. We also confirmed the inhibitory effects of ES at 10 μA due to the production of IL-6 (p < 0.05) and IL-8 (p < 0.01) under these conditions. Our findings indicate that ES positively affects degenerative inflammation in diverse diseases. Accordingly, the microfluidic electroceutical platform can serve as a degenerative IVD inflammation in vitro model and provide a therapeutic strategy for electroceuticals.

Can self-powered piezoelectric materials be used to treat disc degeneration by means of electrical stimulation?

“…However, exposure of IL-1β-stimulated AF cells to electrical stimulation at 500 mV/mm inhibited the production of MMP-1, IL-6, VEGF and TIMP-1 ( Kim et al, 2013 ). Similarly, macrophage-mediated production of IL-6 and IL-8 in the disc was significantly inhibited in a macrophage-mediated model of NP inflammation after electrical stimulation ( Kim et al, 2022 ). In addition, cells within the IVD undergoing electrical stimulation also attenuated the IL-1α-induced upregulation of genes expressed in the degenerative IVD.…”

Computational and experimental investigations of a microfluidic mixer for efficient iodine extraction using carbon tetrachloride enhanced with gas bubbles

“…[3][4][5] From the study of cells and cell behavior to the analysis of chemical and biological fluids, the development of new assays, and the creation of novel therapeutic strategies, microfluidics is a versatile technology that is helping to advance our understanding of chemistry and biology. [6,7] The essential step in using microfluidic technology for biochemical analysis is mixing samples in a microfluidic chip. [8] Micromixers are devices used in microfluidics to mix small volumes of fluids in a controlled, and efficient manner.…”