ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of different electrical stimulation waves on orientation and alignment of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs).MethodsADSCs were isolated from 5-week-old Sprague Dawley rats (weight, 100-150 g) and cultivated. The cells at passages 3-5 were inoculated to prepare cell climbing slices, subsequently was exposed to direct-current electrical stimulations (ES) at electric field strengths of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 V/cm on a homemade electric field bioreactor (groups A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6); at electric field strength of 6 V/cm, at 50% duty cycle, and at frequency of 1 and 2 Hz (groups B1 and B2) of square wave ES; at electric field strength of 6 V/cm, at pulse width of 2 ms, and at frequency of 1 and 2 Hz (groups C1 and C2) of biphasic pulse wave ES; and no ES was given as a control (group D). The changes of cellular morphology affected by applied ES were evaluated by time-lapse micropho-tography via inverted microscope. The cell alignment was evaluated via average orientation factor (OF). The cytoske-leton of electric field treated ADSCs was characterized by rhodamine-phalloidin staining. The cell survival rates were assessed via cell live/dead staining and intracellular calcium activities were detected by calcium ion fluorescent staining.ResultsThe response of ADSCs to ES was related to the direct-current electric field intensity. The higher the direct-current electric field intensity was, the more cells aligned perpendicular to the direction of electric field. At each time point, there was no obvious cell alignment in groups B1, B2 and C1, C2. The average OF of groups A5 and A6 were significantly higher than that of group D (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between other groups and group D (P>0.05). The cytoskeleton staining showed that the cells of groups A5 and A6 exhibited a compact fascicular structure of cytoskeleton, and tended to be perpendicular to the direction of the electric field vector. The cellular survival rate of groups A4, A5, and A6 were significantly lower than that of group D (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between other groups and group D (P>0.05). Calcium fluorescence staining showed that the fluorescence intensity of calcium ions in groups A4, A5, and A6 was slightly higher than that in group D, and no significant difference was found between other groups and group D.ConclusionThe direct-current electric field stimulations with physiological electric field strength (5 V/cm and 6 V/cm) can induce the alignment of ADSCs, but no cell alignment is found under conditions of less than 5 V/cm direct-current electric field, square wave, and biphasic pulse wave stimulation. The cellular viability is negatively correlated with the electric field intensity.