Microfluidic‐Based Non‐Enzymatic Glycation Enhances Cross‐Linking of Human Scleral Tissue Compared to Conventional Soaking

Summary We evaluated nano‐structural and chemical changes in human scleral collagen caused by non‐enzymatic glycation using AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and microfluidics. Twenty 8 × 2 mm2 scleral strips (n = 5, each) were divided into four groups of pure sclera tissues (control group) and sclera tissues with incubation (1 hr in BSS and ribose) and preservation (23 hr in 90% ethanol) for 7 days (BSS + DR7 group) and 30 days (BSS + DR30 group) at room temperature, and 7 days in a microfluidic chip (BSS + DR + µF7 group). The BSS + DR7 and BSS + DR30 groups were incubated in a mixture of balanced salt solution (BSS) and 0.2 M D‐ribose in PBS, pH 7.4 containing 0.1% sodium azide, while the BSS + DR + µF7 group was incubated in the same solutions supplied by two inlet reservoirs from a microfluidic chip. The scleral tissues incubated in the microfluidic environment showed a clear irregular parallel arrangement of collagen fibrils with tangled fibrils. A Raman shift was observed at 919 cm−1 in the glycation groups. Non‐enzymatic glycation led to an increased in the density of scleral stromal collagen. Our method using non‐enzymatic glycation in a microfluidic environment successfully induced collagen cross‐linking. These in vitro results suggested that glycation can be used to strengthen connective tissues. SCANNING 9999:1–6, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Source: Scanning - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research