Authors:

Twesha Ray

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Neuronal migration and neurite growth are crucial for forming functional neuronal circuits during brain development. While it is well established that environmental stiffness influences non-neuronal cell migration, its impact on neuronal outgrowth remains a subject of debate. Polyacrylamide (PAA) hydrogels have been extensively used as 2D substrates non-neuronal. Despite their ease of preparation and the ability to control their stiffness and thickness, PAA gels exhibit some undesirable physical characteristics, such as swelling and topographical structures, which can lead to surface instability. This is due to their physicochemical properties and preparation methods. Although these topographical features can affect neurite outgrowth in addition to stiffness, they are typically not studied and reported in mechanosensing studies. To minimize differences in surface structures and swelling in gels of different stiffness, we prepared gels of 0.3 kPa, 3 kPa, and 30 kPa using different combinations of polymerization times (14, 16, 18, and 20 minutes) with either PBS or water, respectively. Phase contrast images were captured to assess the impact of the polymerization time and solvent on the gel's structural homogeneity. Our results suggest that the gels exhibit less swelling in water than the PBS. The topographical structures, however, tend to appear in both solvents and are more uniform by shortening the polymerization time. Next, we will analyze the effects of polymerization time and solvent on the elastic properties of PAA gels and measure how these gels of defined stiffness and surface properties affect neurite outgrowth of Aplysia bag cell neurons. Keywords: Polyacrylamide Hydrogel; Neurite Outgrowth; Polymerization; Elastic Properties; Structure

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

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Co-authors:

Twesha Ray