Due to the high solubility of oxygen in perfluorocarbons (PFCs), these compounds have been explored for improved cell and tissue oxygenation. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of a PFC emulsion on cellular growth and function in a tissue engineered construct. A perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) emulsion was co-encapsulated at 10 vol% with mouse βTC-tet insulinoma cells in calcium alginate beads and cultured under normoxic and severely hypoxic conditions. The number of metabolically active cells and the induced insulin secretion rate were measured over time for up to 16 days. Results showed no significant effect of PFTBA relative to the PFTBA-free control. The alginate-PFC-cell system was also modeled mathematically, and simulations tracked the number of viable cells over time under the same conditions used experimentally. Simulations revealed only a small, likely experimentally undetectable difference in cell density between the PFC-containing and PFC-free control beads. It is concluded that PFTBA up to 10 vol% has no significant effect on the growth and function of encapsulated βTC-tet cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
KeywordsPerfluorotributylamine; βTC-tet; encapsulated cells; normoxia; hypoxia Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
NIH Public Access
NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript
IntroductionA major challenge in developing and implementing tissue engineered substitutes is ensuring sufficient oxygenation of cells within constructs, as oxygen is a significant parameter affecting cell viability and function (Gross et al. 2007b;Papas et al. 2000;Papas et al. 1999). This is especially true for substitutes which rely on diffusion for the transport of dissolved oxygen (DO). Therefore, a means of enhancing oxygen delivery by increasing the solubility and/or diffusivity of DO within a construct might prove beneficial and desirable.The high solubility of oxygen in perfluorocarbons (PFCs) has led investigators to explore their use in the form of a non-aqueous phase or an emulsion, as a blood substitute, in organ preservation, and in tissue engineered devices. It is reasonable to expect a positive effect in systems where the PFC phase is convectively transported between an oxygenator and a culture or tissue where oxygen is delivered and used. This has been confirmed experimentally, as in the study of Radisic et al. who demonstrated that adding the PFC emulsion, Oxygent, to medium perfusing a parallel plate cardiac bioreactor increased the DO concentration throughout the bioreactor and conseque...