A microfluidic device to study effects of physical stimulation and steroid treatment on lung epithelial cell surfactant protein expression

This paper reports a microfluidic cell culture device made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) capable of mimicking lung physiological physical stimulation, including cyclic strain and hydrostatic pressure. We demonstrate the promotion of pulmonary surfactant protein C (SPC) expression of lung epithelial cells under physical stimulation, which is comparable to conventional steroid treatment. The results suggest synergic effects of physical stimulation and steroid treatments on SPC expression, and demonstrate great potential for pulmonary research regarding physical mechanism from cell perspectives using the developed microfluidic device.