Page 137 - IJB-9-2

International Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Hybrid biofabrication of neurosecretory

structures as a model for neurosecretion

1
1†
1
1†
Xingliang Dai , Xuefeng Tian , Shengcai Gu , Yafei Yang , Huaixu Li ,
1
1
Peng Gao *, Qing Lan *, Hongwei Cheng *
1
2
1 Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022,
P. R. China
2 Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou,
215004, P. R. China
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Related to 3D printing technology and materials)
Abstract
The present study aimed to combine extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D)
bioprinting and polymer nanofiber electrospinning technology to fabricate tissue-
like structures with neurosecretory function in vitro. Using neurosecretory cells as
cell resources, sodium alginate/gelatin/fibrinogen as matrix, polylactic acid/gelatin
electrospun nanofibers as diaphragm, and neurosecretory cells-loaded 3D hydrogel
† These authors contributed equally scaffolds were bioprinted and then covered with electrospun nanofibers layer-

to this work by-layer. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and
*Corresponding author: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the mechanical characteristics and
Hongwei Cheng cytotoxicity of the hybrid biofabricated scaffold structure were evaluated. The
(hongwei.cheng@ahmu.edu.cn) 3D-bioprinted tissue activity, including cell death and proliferation, was verified.
Qing Lan
(szlq006@163.com) Western blotting and ELISA experiments were used to confirm the cell phenotype
Peng Gao and secretory function, while animal in vivo transplantation experiments confirmed
(aygaopeng@foxmail.com) the histocompatibility, inflammatory reaction, and tissue remodeling ability of the
Citation: Dai X, Tian X, Gu S, heterozygous tissue structures. Neurosecretory structures with 3D structures were
et al., 2023, Hybrid biofabrication successfully prepared by hybrid biofabrication in vitro. The mechanical strength of the
of neurosecretory structures as
a model for neurosecretion. Int J composite biofabricated structures was significantly higher than that of the hydrogel
Bioprint, 9(2): 659. system (P < 0.05). The survival rate of PC12 cells in the 3D-bioprinted model was 92.849
https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v9i2.659 ± 2.995%. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained pathological sections showed that the cells
Received: September 24, 2022 grew in clumps, and there was no significant difference in the expression of MAP2 and
tubulin-β between 3D organoids and PC12 cells. The results of ELISA showed that the
Accepted: October 13, 2022
PC12 cells in 3D structures retained the ability to continuously secrete noradrenaline
Published Online: December 30, and met-enkephalin, and the secretory vesicles around and within the cells could be
2022
observed by TEM. In in vivo transplantation, PC12 cells gathered and grew in clusters,
Copyright: © 2022 Author(s). maintained high activity, neovascularization, and tissue remodeling in 3D structures.
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the The neurosecretory structures were biofabricated by 3D bioprinting and nanofiber
Creative Commons Attribution electrospinning in vitro, which had high activity and neurosecretory function. In vivo
License, permitting distribution, transplantation of neurosecretory structures showed active proliferation of cells and
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is potential for tissue remodeling. Our research provides a new method for biological
properly cited. manufacture of neurosecretory structures in vitro, which maintains neurosecretory
function and lays the foundation for the clinical application of neuroendocrine tissues.
Publisher’s Note: Whioce
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Keywords: Hybrid biofabrication; Bioprinting; Electrospinning; Neurosecretion; Structures
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 2 (2023) 129 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v9i2.659