Grammometric Labs on a Chip and Synchronization of the On-Chip Isolated Muscle Fiber Grammometry with the in Situ Tissue X-Ray Analysis and MEMS-Assisted Excitation Time Spectroscopy

Abstract

This paper presents the main concept of our studies performed in 2011 on the structural and functional changes monitoring in single muscle fibers on a chip, allowing multivariate measurements. We propose here the synchronization of the following analytical techniques: micromechanical measurements performed using a grammometer-type dynamometric / tensometric system with digital recording; real-time on-chip morphometric microscopy; X-ray tissue analysis with the discrete identification ("barcoding") of the structural data from the matrix registration array detector; stimulation electromyography at various excitation parameters using the chip providing the response spectra of the sample at each excitation signal type. The graphical representation of the above measurements correlation provides useful information on the relationship between the structure and function of the sample at both cytophysiological and su-pramolecular levels and can be compared with the database. Correlation analysis of the biochemical response of the isolated muscle fiber to either electrophysical or electrochemical stimulation allows to detect teinochemical effects resulting from the conformational changes both at macromolecular and supramolecular scale, since the deformation value and, hence, the fiber contraction, depends on the variable medium characteristics or the external effect parameters and can be corresponded to them in a special database. Furthermore, the technique proposed allows a direct on-chip study of the effects of pharmacological and physiotherapeutic agents causing similar conformational changes in situ. The using of X-ray methods of colloid and tissue analysis provides identification of the results of the following processes: dehydration, thermal effects, electrophysiological excitation and chloroform-caused anesthesia. The design of organ-specific or tissue-specific descriptors depending on the fiber orientation would allow to distinguish between the various muscle fiber types and sources within the basis of comparative histological interpretation.