Figure 1.
Characterization of the vascular network in the presence of cardiac MTs
(A and B) Schematic overview of the vascularized cardiac MTs experimental setup (A) and conditions used in the study (B). hiPSC-ECs and HBVPs were cocultured to form VoC; hiPSC-MTs were cocultured with hiPSC-ECs and HBVPs to form VMToC; hiPSC-MTs were integrated into chips without any additional vascular cells to form MToC.
(C and D) Representative images from chips on days 0, 1, 3, and 5 after seeding in the chips, which shows the development of external vascular networks in VoC (C) and VMToC (D). Images showing bright field and hiPSC-EC (red, mCherry) (10×). Scale bars, 300 μm.
(E–H) Quantification of vessel density (%) (E), average vessel length (μm) (F), mean diameter (μm) (G), extravascular spaces (%) (H). Error bars are shown as mean ± SD from N = 3; three independent experiments with at least six microfluidic channels per experiment. Student’s t test; ns, not significant.
(I and J) Representative confocal images of microvascular network in VoC (I) and VMToC (J) showing hiPSC-ECs (orange, mCherry) and hiPSC-CMs (green, ACTN2). Images displaying maximum projection in xyz (i), xy (ii), and yz cross-sectional perspectives (iii) (40×). Scale bar, 100 μm.