Design and validation of a bioreactor for simulating the cardiac niche: a system incorporating cyclic stretch, electrical stimulation, and constant perfusion.

To simulate the cardiac niche, a bioreactor system was designed and constructed to incorporate cyclic stretch, rhythmic electrical stimulation, and constant perfusion. The homogeneity of surface strain distribution across the cell culture substrate was confirmed with ARAMIS deformation analysis. The proliferation marker, Ki-67, detected in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and 3-[4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cytotoxicity assay performed on human atrial fibroblasts confirmed biocompatibility of this novel device. Cyclic stretch treatment for 24 h resulted in the perpendicular alignment of human atrial fibroblasts. An electrical stimulation system containing carbon electrodes was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and charge injection/recovery studies, which indicated that increased corrosive reactions were associated with a higher input voltage and prolonged pulse duration. Field stimulation delivered through this system could induce rhythmic contractions in adult rat ventricular myocytes, with contractile characteristics similar to those paced in a standard field stimulation chamber. In conclusion, this bioreactor provides a novel tool to study the interaction between physical stimulation and cardiac cell physiology.