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. 2018 May 3;8(5):296. doi: 10.3390/nano8050296

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Measurement of layer-specific leaflet mechanical properties and matching of biomechanics with GelMA/HAMA hydrogels: (a,b) Nanoindentation of the CAVD leaflet layers determined that the median Young’s modulus of the fibrosa layer (37.1 kPa) was significantly higher than that of the spongiosa layer (15.4 kPa), and that the median storage modulus (G′) of the fibrosa layer (11.2 kPa) was significantly higher than that of the spongiosa layer (4.7 kPa); (c,d) Nanoindentation of hybrid hydrogels found that the median Young’s modulus of the 5% GelMA/1% HAMA hydrogel after UV crosslinking for 90 s (38.5 kPa) was significantly higher than that of the 5% GelMA/1% HAMA/30 s crosslinked hydrogel (21.7 kPa). GelMA/HAMA gels crosslinked for 90 s and 30 s recapitulated Young’s moduli of the fibrosa and spongiosa layers, respectively. G′ of the 90 s crosslinked hydrogel (12.8 kPa) was significantly higher than that of the 30 s crosslinked hydrogel (7.2 kPa). Hydrogel storage moduli again mimicked those properties of the native tissue; (e) The tan δ (G′′/G′, loss tangent: viscous vs. elastic deformation) of individual samples within the fibrosa layer, spongiosa layer, 90 s hydrogel, and 30 s hydrogel were all significantly smaller than 1. In comparison to the leaflet layers, tan δ remained lower for both hydrogels. Median shown; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001; n = 5–9 samples per condition (nine measurements per sample).