Figure 1
Biologically inspired design of a filtration functional glomerulus-on-a-chip (GC) microdevice.
(A) When blood flows through afferent glomerular arterioles into the glomerular loops, the glomerular filtrate penetrates the GFB to the Bowman’s capsule driven by effective filtration pressure. The GFB comprised the glomerular endothelium, glomerular basement membrane and podocyte in sequence. (B) The effective filtration pressure depends on glomerular capillary pressure, capsular pressure and shear force. The microfabricated glomerulus mimic device uses compartmentalized PDMS microchannels to form a GFB on a membrane coated with ECM. (B1) The device recreated the physiological glomerular filtration function by supplying perfusion flow in the upper microchannel and causing mechanical forces (e.g., glomerular capillary pressure, shear force and stretch stress) to act on the GFB membrane; (B2) a pathological glomerular microenvironment was established by perfusion flow regulating mechanical forces. (C) Sixteen culture chambers integrated on-a-chip were composed of upper and lower PDMS layers and a middle polycarbonate layer. Three layers were aligned and irreversibly bonded to form two sets of microchannels separated by a porous membrane (10 μm thick) containing an array of through-holes with an effective diameter of 10 μm. (D) Image of the GC microfluidic device viewed from above.
