Nanofiber alignment and direction of mechanical strain affect the ECM production of human ACL fibroblast

The effects of fiber alignment and direction of mechanical stimuli on the ECM generation of human ligament fibroblast (HLF) were assessed. The nanofiber matrix was fabricated using electrospinning technique. To align the nanofibers, a rotating target was used. The HLFs on the aligned nanofibers were spindle-shaped and oriented in the direction of the nanofibers. The degree of ECM production was evaluated by comparing the amount of collagen on aligned and randomly oriented structures. Significantly more collagen was synthesized on aligned nanofiber sheets, although the proliferation did not differ significantly. This suggests that the spindle-shape observable in intact ligaments is preferable in producing ECM. To evaluate the effect of strain direction on the ECM production, HLFs were seeded on parallel aligned, vertically aligned to the strain direction, and randomly oriented nanofiber sheets attached to Flexcell® plates. After a 48-h culture, 5% uniaxial strain was applied for 24 h at a frequency of 12 cycles/min. The amounts of collagen produced were measured 2 days after halting the strain application. The HLFs were more sensitive to strain in the longitudinal direction. In conclusion, the aligned nanofiber scaffold used in this study constitutes a promising base material for tissue-engineered ligament in that it provides more preferable biomimetic structure, along with proper mechanical environment.