Biomimetic flowing vessel-on-a-chip recruiting glycocalyx features for investigating dexmedetomidine function

environment of the chip, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells can be co-cultured on the inverse opal film of this microfluidic chip for the endothelial glycocalyx study. Specifically, the results demonstrate that the glycocalyx layer is susceptible to degradation under low shear stress (LSS), whereas such dysregulation can be effectively prevented through the administration of dexmedetomidine anesthesia. Furthermore, the specific mechanism underlying this glycocalyx-preserving effect of dexmedetomidine is demonstrated to be associated with mitigation of the LSS-induced oxidative stress in endothelial cells, thereby attenuating mitochondrial apoptosis. These features reveal that our vessel-on-a-chip provides a promising platform for preclinical drug screening and evaluation in cardiovascular diseases.