The formulation of more accurate models to describe tissue mechanics necessitates the availability of tools and instruments that can precisely measure the mechanical response of tissues to physical loads and other stimuli. In this regard, neuroscience has trailed other life sciences owing to the unavailability of representative live tissue models and deficiency of experimentation tools. We previously addressed both challenges by employing a novel instrument called the cantilevered-capillary force apparatus (CCFA) to elucidate the mechanical properties of mouse neurospheres under compressive forces. The neurospheres were derived from murine stem cells, and our study was the first of its kind to investigate the viscoelasticity of living neural tissues in vitro. In the current study, we demonstrate the utility of the CCFA as a broadly applicable tool to evaluate tissue mechanics by quantifying the effect that oxidative stress has on the mechanical properties of neurospheres. We treated mouse neurospheres with non-cytotoxic levels of hydrogen peroxide and subsequently evaluated the storage and loss moduli of the tissues under compression and tension. We observed that the neurospheres exhibit viscoelasticity consistent with neural tissue and show that elastic modulus decreases with increasing size of the neurosphere. Our study yields insights for establishing rheological measurements as biomarkers by laying the groundwork for measurement techniques and showing that the influence of a particular treatment may be misinterpreted if the size dependence is ignored.

制定更准确的模型来描述组织力学需要能够精确测量组织对物理负荷和其他刺激的机械响应的工具和仪器。在这方面，由于缺乏代表性的活体组织模型和实验工具的缺乏，神经科学落后于其他生命科学。我们之前通过使用一种称为悬臂毛细管力装置（CCFA）的新型仪器来阐明小鼠神经球在压力下的机械特性来解决这两个挑战。神经球源自小鼠干细胞，我们的研究是第一个在体外研究活体神经组织粘弹性的研究。在当前的研究中，我们通过量化氧化应激对神经球机械特性的影响，证明了 CCFA 作为一种广泛适用的工具来评估组织力学的实用性。我们用非细胞毒性水平的过氧化氢处理小鼠神经球，然后评估组织在压缩和张力下的储能模量和损耗模量。我们观察到神经球表现出与神经组织一致的粘弹性，并表明弹性模量随着神经球尺寸的增加而降低。我们的研究为测量技术奠定了基础，为建立流变测量作为生物标志物提供了见解，并表明如果忽略尺寸依赖性，特定处理的影响可能会被误解。