The physical properties of a biomaterial play an essential role in regulating immune and reparative activities within the host tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the immunological impact of material stiffness of a glycol-chitosan hydrogel designed for vocal fold tissue engineering. Hydrogel stiffness was varied via the concentration of glyoxal cross-linker applied. Hydrogel mechanical properties were characterized through atomic force microscopy and shear plate rheometry. Using a transwell setup, macrophages were co-cultured with human vocal fold fibroblasts that were embedded within the hydrogel. Macrophage viability and cytokine secretion were evaluated at 3, 24, and 72 hr of culture. Flow cytometry was applied to evaluate macrophage cell surface markers after 72 hr of cell culture. Results indicated that increasing hydrogel stiffness was associated with increased anti-inflammatory activity compared to relevant controls. In addition, increased anti-inflammatory activity was observed in hydrogel co-cultures. This study highlighted the importance of hydrogel stiffness from an immunological viewpoint when designing novel vocal fold hydrogels.

中文翻译：

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THP-1 巨噬细胞对声带组织工程应用中乙二醇-壳聚糖水凝胶不同刚度的反应的体外评估

生物材料的物理特性在调节宿主组织内的免疫和修复活动中起着至关重要的作用。本研究旨在评估为声带组织工程设计的乙二醇-壳聚糖水凝胶材料刚度的免疫学影响。水凝胶刚度通过应用的乙二醛交联剂的浓度而变化。通过原子力显微镜和剪切板流变仪表征水凝胶的机械性能。使用 transwell 设置，巨噬细胞与嵌入水凝胶中的人声带成纤维细胞共培养。在培养 3、24 和 72 小时评估巨噬细胞活力和细胞因子分泌。在细胞培养 72 小时后，应用流式细胞术评估巨噬细胞表面标志物。结果表明，与相关对照相比，水凝胶硬度增加与抗炎活性增加有关。此外，在水凝胶共培养物中观察到抗炎活性增加。该研究从免疫学的角度强调了水凝胶硬度在设计新型声带水凝胶时的重要性。