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Hydrogels made of natural polymers [chitosan (CS) and gelatin (G)] have been prepared having mechanical properties similar to those of muscle tissues. In this study, the effect of polymer concentration and scaffold stiffness on the behavior of seeded muscle-derived cells (MDCs) on the CS-G hydrogel sheets has been evaluated. Both variables were found to be important in cell viability. Viability was assessed by observation of the cell morphology after 1 day as well as a 14-day MTT assay. The CS-G hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, which revealed evidences of strong intermolecular interactions between CS and G. Hydrogel samples with intermediate concentration of CS had suitable handling characteristics for surgical purposes as well as similar elasticity to muscle tissues. The sample with intermediate stiffness (22 ± 1kPa) exhibited the greatest attachment, expansion, and proliferation rate. Such CS-G hydrogels with intermediate stiffness may be considered as new candidates for muscle tissue engineering in the reconstructive field of urology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need to understand muscle cell behaviors and to engineer muscle tissues to replace defective tissues in the body. Despite a long history of the clinical use of electric ields for muscle tissues in vivo, electrical stimulation (eS) has recently gained signiicant attention as a powerful tool for regulating muscle cell behaviors in vitro. eS aims to mimic the electrical environment of electroactive muscle cells (e.g., cardiac or skeletal muscle cells) by helping to regulate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (eCM) interactions. As a result, it can be used to enhance the alignment and diferentiation of skeletal or cardiac muscle cells and to aid in engineering of functional muscle tissues. Additionally, eS can be used to control and monitor force generation and electrophysiological activity of muscle tissues for bio-actuation and drug-screening applications in a simple, high-throughput, and reproducible manner. in this review paper, we briely describe the importance of eS in regulating muscle cell behaviors in vitro, as well as the major challenges and prospective potential associated with eS in the context of muscle tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]