Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

2009 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society

DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2009.5333142

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Alignment and Elongation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Response to Direct-Current Electrical Stimulation

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

In vivo, direct current electric fields are present during embryonic development and wound healing. In vitro, direct current (DC) electric fields induce directional cell migration and elongation. For the first time, we demonstrate that cultured human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) respond to the presence of direct-current electric fields. Cells were stimulated for 2–4 hours with DC electric fields of 6 V/cm that were similar to those encountered in vivo post-injury. Upon stimulation, hASCs were observed to elongate and align perpendicularly to the applied electric field, disassemble gap junctions, and upregulate the expression of genes for connexin-43, thrombomodulin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor. In separate related studies, human epicardial fat-derived stem cells (heASCs) were also observed to align and elongate. It is interesting that the morphological and phenotypic characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells derived both from liposuction aspirates and from cardiac fat can be modulated by direct current electric fields. In further studies, we will quantify the effects of the electrical fields in the context of wound healing.