Investigating electrical field-affected skeletal myogenesis using a microfabricated electrode array

This paper reports the use of a microchip containing an array of microfabricated electrodes for the investigation of in vitro proliferation and differentiation of skeletal myoblasts (C2C12) under controllable AC electrical fields. The cell growth, proliferation and differentiation were in situ monitored during the entire culture. The results showed that the AC electrical stimulation with low intensity and high frequency has the capability of regulating the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts into multinucleated, and myosin heavy chain (MHC)-positive skeletal myotubes. The dependency of myotube formation and cytoskeleton organization on the electrical stimulation was examined. This work holds the promise to facilitate the use of electrical stimulation for skeletal muscle repair and replacement. It is also expected to provide a powerful tool for the investigation of mechanisms that govern the intercellular and intracellular events responsible for biological-electrical coupling at cellular levels. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.