Vessel on a chip : an in-vitro model to study endothelial dysfunction and monocyte transendothelial migration

Abstract

Inflammation is a protective immunovascular response which induces endothelial dysfunction, and leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) plays an important role in the defense against invading pathogens and the development of different immune disorders in vivo. It has been a research focus to understand the endothelial dysfunction and leukocyte TEM process during inflammatory response in vitro in the past few years. Here, we incorporated the novel microfluidic assay and used monocyte to investigate the endothelial dysfunction and leukocyte TEM process including cell adhesion and transmigration under the inflammatory stimuli of TNFα. We found the increased permeability of endothelial barrier and enhanced monocyte-endothelium adhesion under the effect of TNFα. We also optimized the concentration gradient of chemoattractant and qualitatively demonstrated the enhancement of monocyte transmigration through endothelium under this concentration gradient.