Parallel-plate flow chamber design for testing bone cell mechanosensitivity under microgravity

Authors

  • Rommel G. Bacabac Department of Oral Cell Biology, ACTA-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Saskia J. Dijcks Department of Oral Cell Biology, ACTA-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Jack J. W. A. Van Loon Department of Oral Cell Biology, ACTA-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Jenneke Klein-Nulend Department of Oral Cell Biology, ACTA-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Theo H. Smit Department of Clinical Physics and Informatics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract

We show the use of a dimensionless parameter αh, in the precise design of a downscaled parallel-plate flow chamber system for flow stimulation of bone cells under microgravity. The proper experimental regime for exposing cells to predictable levels of dynamic fluid shear stress requires the conditions: 1) αh < 2, based on the consequent quasi-parabolic form of the velocity profile in this regime, and 2) f0m < fc , where the criticial frequency fc is the upper threshold for this flow regime, m is the highest harmonic mode of the flow, and f0 is the fundamental frequency of fluid flow. Furthermore, this study addressed the nature by which bone cells respond to fluid flow stimulation and found that bone cell activation is dependent on the rate of fluid shear stress.

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Issue

Article ID

SPP-2002-2B-01

Section

Biological and Medical Physics

Published

2002-10-23

How to Cite

[1]
RG Bacabac, SJ Dijcks, JJWA Van Loon, J Klein-Nulend, and TH Smit, Parallel-plate flow chamber design for testing bone cell mechanosensitivity under microgravity, Proceedings of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas 20, SPP-2002-2B-01 (2002). URL: https://proceedings.spp-online.org/article/view/SPP-2002-2B-01.