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Lamoureux ES, Cheng Y, Islamzada E, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H. Biophysical profiling of red blood cells from thin-film blood smears using deep learning. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35276. [PMID: 39170127 PMCID: PMC11336426 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Microscopic inspection of thin-film blood smears is widely used to identify red blood cell (RBC) pathologies, including malaria parasitism and hemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Emerging research indicates that non-pathologic changes in RBCs can also be detected in images, such as deformability and morphological changes resulting from the storage lesion. In transfusion medicine, cell deformability is a potential biomarker for the quality of donated RBCs. However, a major impediment to the clinical translation of this biomarker is the difficulty associated with performing this measurement. To address this challenge, we developed an approach for biophysical profiling of RBCs based on cell images in thin-film blood smears. We hypothesize that subtle cellular changes are evident in blood smear images, but this information is inaccessible to human expert labellers. To test this hypothesis, we developed a deep learning strategy to analyze Giemsa-stained blood smears to assess the subtle morphologies indicative of RBC deformability and storage-based degradation. Specifically, we prepared thin-film blood smears from 27 RBC samples (9 donors evaluated at 3 storage time points) and imaged them using high-resolution microscopy. Using this dataset, we trained a convolutional neural network to evaluate image-based morphological features related to cell deformability. The prediction of donor deformability is strongly correlated to the microfluidic scores and can be used to categorize images into specific deformability groups with high accuracy. We also used this model to evaluate differences in RBC morphology resulting from cold storage. Together, our results demonstrate that deep learning models can detect subtle cellular morphology differences resulting from deformability and cold storage. This result suggests the potential to assess donor blood quality from thin-film blood smears, which can be acquired ubiquitously in clinical workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik S. Lamoureux
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - You Cheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emel Islamzada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kerryn Matthews
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Simon P. Duffy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada
| | - Hongshen Ma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Canada
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2
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Chen T, Karedla N, Enderlein J. Measuring sub-nanometer undulations at microsecond temporal resolution with metal- and graphene-induced energy transfer spectroscopy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1789. [PMID: 38413608 PMCID: PMC10899616 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45822-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Out-of-plane fluctuations, also known as stochastic displacements, of biological membranes play a crucial role in regulating many essential life processes within cells and organelles. Despite the availability of various methods for quantifying membrane dynamics, accurately quantifying complex membrane systems with rapid and tiny fluctuations, such as mitochondria, remains a challenge. In this work, we present a methodology that combines metal/graphene-induced energy transfer (MIET/GIET) with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to quantify out-of-plane fluctuations of membranes with simultaneous spatiotemporal resolution of approximately one nanometer and one microsecond. To validate the technique and spatiotemporal resolution, we measure bending undulations of model membranes. Furthermore, we demonstrate the versatility and applicability of MIET/GIET-FCS for studying diverse membrane systems, including the widely studied fluctuating membrane system of human red blood cells, as well as two unexplored membrane systems with tiny fluctuations, a pore-spanning membrane, and mitochondrial inner/outer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Chen
- Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, Georg August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Narain Karedla
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 OFA, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Jörg Enderlein
- Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, Georg August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Göttingen, 37075, Germany.
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3
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Alves-Rosa MF, Tayler NM, Dorta D, Coronado LM, Spadafora C. P. falciparum Invasion and Erythrocyte Aging. Cells 2024; 13:334. [PMID: 38391947 PMCID: PMC10887143 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites need to find red blood cells (RBCs) that, on the one hand, expose receptors for the pathogen ligands and, on the other hand, maintain the right geometry to facilitate merozoite attachment and entry into the red blood cell. Both characteristics change with the maturation of erythrocytes. Some Plasmodia prefer younger vs. older erythrocytes. How does the life evolution of the RBC affect the invasion of the parasite? What happens when the RBC ages? In this review, we present what is known up until now.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carmenza Spadafora
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicio de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama City 0843-01103, Panama; (M.F.A.-R.); (N.M.T.); (D.D.); (L.M.C.)
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4
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Horikiri M, Taniguchi M, Yoshikawa HY, Okumura R, Matsuzaki T. Mechanical Characterization of Mucus on Intestinal Tissues by Atomic Force Microscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2763:403-414. [PMID: 38347430 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3670-1_35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Mucus is part of the innate immune system that defends the mucosa against microbiota and other infectious threats. The mechanical characteristics of mucus, such as viscosity, elasticity, and lubricity, are critically involved in its barrier function. However, assessing the mechanical properties of mucus remains challenging because of technical limitations. Thus, a new approach that characterizes the mechanical properties of mucus on colonic tissues needs to be developed. Here, we describe a novel strategy to characterize the ex vivo mechanical properties of mucus on colonic tissues using atomic force microscopy. This description includes the preparation of the mouse colon sample, AFM calibration, and determining the elasticity (Young's modulus, E [kPa]) of the mucus layer in the colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoka Horikiri
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mugen Taniguchi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Y Yoshikawa
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryu Okumura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Takahisa Matsuzaki
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
- Center for Future Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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5
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Taneva SG, Todinova S, Andreeva T. Morphometric and Nanomechanical Screening of Peripheral Blood Cells with Atomic Force Microscopy for Label-Free Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14296. [PMID: 37762599 PMCID: PMC10531602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are complex, multifactorial disorders with significant social and economic impact in today's society. NDDs are predicted to become the second-most common cause of death in the next few decades due to an increase in life expectancy but also to a lack of early diagnosis and mainly symptomatic treatment. Despite recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, there are yet no reliable biomarkers identifying the complex pathways contributing to these pathologies. The development of new approaches for early diagnosis and new therapies, together with the identification of non-invasive and more cost-effective diagnostic biomarkers, is one of the main trends in NDD biomedical research. Here we summarize data on peripheral biomarkers, biofluids (cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma), and peripheral blood cells (platelets (PLTs) and red blood cells (RBCs)), reported so far for the three most common NDDs-Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PLTs and RBCs, beyond their primary physiological functions, are increasingly recognized as valuable sources of biomarkers for NDDs. Special attention is given to the morphological and nanomechanical signatures of PLTs and RBCs as biophysical markers for the three pathologies. Modifications of the surface nanostructure and morphometric and nanomechanical signatures of PLTs and RBCs from patients with AD, PD, and ALS have been revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM is currently experiencing rapid and widespread adoption in biomedicine and clinical medicine, in particular for early diagnostics of various medical conditions. AFM is a unique instrument without an analog, allowing the generation of three-dimensional cell images with extremely high spatial resolution at near-atomic scale, which are complemented by insights into the mechanical properties of cells and subcellular structures. Data demonstrate that AFM can distinguish between the three pathologies and the normal, healthy state. The specific PLT and RBC signatures can serve as biomarkers in combination with the currently used diagnostic tools. We highlight the strong correlation of the morphological and nanomechanical signatures between RBCs and PLTs in PD, ALS, and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefka G. Taneva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
| | - Svetla Todinova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
| | - Tonya Andreeva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Reutlingen University, Alteburgstraße 150, D-72762 Reutlingen, Germany
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Dubay R, Darling EM, Fiering J. Microparticles with tunable, cell-like properties for quantitative acoustic mechanophenotyping. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:90. [PMID: 37448969 PMCID: PMC10336031 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00556-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of biological cells have been shown to correlate with their biomolecular state and function, and therefore methods to measure these properties at scale are of interest. Emerging microfluidic technologies can measure the mechanical properties of cells at rates over 20,000 cells/s, which is more than four orders of magnitude faster than conventional instrumentation. However, precise and repeatable means to calibrate and test these new tools remain lacking, since cells themselves are by nature variable. Commonly, microfluidic tools use rigid polymer microspheres for calibration because they are widely available in cell-similar sizes, but conventional microspheres do not fully capture the physiological range of other mechanical properties that are equally important to device function (e.g., elastic modulus and density). Here, we present for the first time development of monodisperse polyacrylamide microparticles with both tunable elasticity and tunable density. Using these size, elasticity, and density tunable particles, we characterized a custom acoustic microfluidic device that makes single-cell measurements of mechanical properties. We then applied the approach to measure the distribution of the acoustic properties within samples of human leukocytes and showed that the system successfully discriminates lymphocytes from other leukocytes. This initial demonstration shows how the tunable microparticles with properties within the physiologically relevant range can be used in conjunction with microfluidic devices for efficient high-throughput measurements of mechanical properties at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Dubay
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Biological Microsystems, Draper, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Eric M. Darling
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Jason Fiering
- Biological Microsystems, Draper, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
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7
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Zhang Q, Inagaki NF, Ito T. Recent advances in micro-sized oxygen carriers inspired by red blood cells. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ADVANCED MATERIALS 2023; 24:2223050. [PMID: 37363800 PMCID: PMC10288928 DOI: 10.1080/14686996.2023.2223050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Supplementing sufficient oxygen to cells is always challenging in biomedical engineering fields such as tissue engineering. Originating from the concept of a 'blood substitute', nano-sized artificial oxygen carriers (AOCs) have been studied for a long time for the optimization of the oxygen supplementation and improvement of hypoxia environments in vitro and in vivo. When circulating in our bodies, micro-sized human red blood cells (hRBCs) feature a high oxygen capacity, a unique biconcave shape, biomechanical and rheological properties, and low frictional surfaces, making them efficient natural oxygen carriers. Inspired by hRBCs, recent studies have focused on evolving different AOCs into microparticles more feasibly able to achieve desired architectures and morphologies and to obtain the corresponding advantages. Recent micro-sized AOCs have been developed into additional categories based on their principal oxygen-carrying or oxygen-releasing materials. Various biomaterials such as lipids, proteins, and polymers have also been used to prepare oxygen carriers owing to their rapid oxygen transfer, high oxygen capacity, excellent colloidal stability, biocompatibility, suitable biodegradability, and long storage. In this review, we concentrated on the fabrication techniques, applied biomaterials, and design considerations of micro-sized AOCs to illustrate the advances in their performances. We also compared certain recent micro-sized AOCs with hRBCs where applicable and appropriate. Furthermore, we discussed existing and potential applications of different types of micro-sized AOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Zhang
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Natsuko F. Inagaki
- Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taichi Ito
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Kim Y, Kim J, Seo E, Lee SJ. AI-based analysis of 3D position and orientation of red blood cells using a digital in-line holographic microscopy. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 229:115232. [PMID: 36963327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
The morphological and mechanical characteristics of red blood cells (RBCs) largely vary depending on the occurrence of hematologic disorders. Variations in the rheological properties of RBCs affect the dynamic motions of RBCs, especially their rotational behavior. However, conventional techniques for measuring the orientation of biconcave-shaped RBCs still have some technical limitations, including complicated optical setups, complex post data processing, and low throughput. In this study, we propose a novel image-based technique for measuring 3D position and orientation of normal RBCs using digital in-line holographic microscopy (DIHM) and artificial intelligence (AI). Formaldehyde-fixed RBCs are immobilized in coagulated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Holographic images of RBCs positioned at various out-of-plane angles are acquired by precisely manipulating the PDMS-trapped RBC sample attached to a 4-axis optical stage. With the aid of deep learning algorithms for data augmentation and regression analysis, the out-of-plane angle of RBCs is directly predicted from the captured holographic images. The 3D position and in-plane angle of RBCs are acquired by employing numerical reconstruction and ellipse detection methods. Combining these digital image processing techniques, the 3D positional and orientational information of each RBC recorded in a single holographic image is measured within 23.5 and 3.07 s, respectively. The proposed AI-based DIHM technique that can extract the 3D position, orientation, and morphology of individual RBCs would be utilized to analyze the dynamic translational and rotational motions of abnormal RBCs with hematologic disorders in shear flows through further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngdo Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihwan Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunseok Seo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Joon Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Hareendranath S, Sathian SP. Dynamic response of red blood cells in health and disease. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:1219-1230. [PMID: 36688330 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01090a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The viscoelastic response of the red blood cells (RBCs) affected by hematological disorders become severely impaired by the altered biophysical and morphological properties. These include traits like reduced deformability, increased membrane viscosity, and change in cell shape, causing substantial changes in the overall hemodynamics. RBCs, by virtue of their highly elastic membrane and low bending rigidity, exhibit complex dynamics when exposed to cyclic, transient forces in the microcirculation. Here, we employ mesoscopic numerical simulations based on the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) framework to explore the dynamics of healthy, schizont stage malaria-infected and type 2 diabetes mellitus affected RBCs subjected to external time-dependent loads. The paper focuses on the imposition and cessation of external forcing on the cells of two different typologies, saw-tooth cyclic wave loading and sudden loads in the form of creep and relaxation phenomena. The effects of varying the rate of stress and the applied stress magnitude were investigated. Our simulations disclosed unique shape transitions of the hysteresis curves at varied loading rates. A careful analysis reveals a critical threshold of half cycle time of the from wherein the deformation of all cells observed, healthy or otherwise, falls under the nearly reversible deformation regime displaying minimal energy dissipation. Finally, we also examined the individual effects of the different constitutive and geometric characteristics attributed to the pathological cells and observed interesting recovery dynamics of spherocytes and cells having high shear moduli. The distinguished deformation behaviour of healthy and diseased cells could establish external force as a valuable initial biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sainath Hareendranath
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Sarith P Sathian
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
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10
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Chen X, Zhu M, Tang Y, Xie H, Fan X. Methine initiated polypropylene-based disposable face masks aging validated by micromechanical properties loss of atomic force microscopy. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 441:129831. [PMID: 36084457 PMCID: PMC9398948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The contagious coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has led to an increasing number of disposable face masks (DFMs) abandoned in the environment, when they are exposed to the air condition, the broken of chemical bond induced aging is inevitably occurred which meantime would cause a drastic decrease of the mechanical flexibility. However, the understanding of between chemical bond change related to aging and its micromechanical loss is limited due to the lack of refined techniques. Herein, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique was firstly used to observe the aging process induced by methine of the polypropylene-based DFMs. By comparing the micromechanical properties loss, the influences of humidity and light density on the DFM aging were systematically studied in the early 72 h, and it revealed that the increasing scissions number of the easiest attacked methine (Ct-H) can gradually decrease the micromechanical properties of the polypropylene (PP)-based DFM. Furthermore, the results are also validated by the in- situ FTIR and XPS analysis. This work discloses that an aging process can be initially estimated with the micromechanical changes observed by AFM, which offers fundamental data to manage this important emerging plastic pollution during COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Mude Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yi Tang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Huiyuan Xie
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaoyun Fan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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11
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Lomanovskaya TA, Piavchenko GA, Soldatov VO, Venediktov AA, Kuzmin EA, Kartashkina NL, Mukhamedova SG, Boronikhina TV, Markov AG, Telyshev DV, Meglinski I, Yatskovskiy AN. Structural changes of erythrocyte membrane revealed by 3D confocal optical profilometer. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2023; 16:e202200222. [PMID: 36056822 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We examined hematological changes influenced by the experimental hypervitaminosis A. The 3D confocal optical profilometer was applied for assessment of the erythrocytes' membrane structural changes influenced by an overdose of vitamin A. The blood smears were evaluated in terms of alterations of geometrical and optical parameters of erythrocytes for two groups of animals: oil base and retinol palmitate (n = 9 animals for each group). The results demonstrate that an overdose of retinol palmitate causes changes in the torus curvature and pallor of discocytes, their surface area and volume. The observed structural malformations of the shape of red blood cells become visible at the earlier preclinical stage of changes in animal state and behavior. With this in mind, the results of the study open a new area of research in the certain dysfunction diagnosis of red blood cells and have a great potential in the further development of new curative protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Lomanovskaya
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Gennadii A Piavchenko
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladislav O Soldatov
- Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology Department, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia
| | - Artem A Venediktov
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Egor A Kuzmin
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia L Kartashkina
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana G Mukhamedova
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana V Boronikhina
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksandr G Markov
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Telyshev
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Systems, National Research University of Electronic Technology, Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Meglinski
- Opto-Electronics and Measurement Techniques, Faculty of Information and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexander N Yatskovskiy
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
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12
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Rubio A, López M, Rodrigues T, Campo-Deaño L, Vega EJ. A particulate blood analogue based on artificial viscoelastic blood plasma and RBC-like microparticles at a concentration matching the human haematocrit. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:7510-7523. [PMID: 36148801 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00947a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There has been enormous interest in the production of fluids with rheological properties similar to those of real blood over the last few years. Application fields range from biomicrofluidics (microscale) to forensic science (macroscale). The inclusion of flexible microparticles in blood analogue fluids has been demonstrated to be essential in order to reproduce the behaviour of blood flow in these fields. Here, we describe a protocol to produce a whole human blood analogue composed of a proposed plasma analogue and flexible spherical microparticles that mimic the key structural attributes of RBCs (size and mechanical properties), at a concentration matching the human haematocrit (∼42% by volume). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexible microparticles were used to mimic RBCs, whose capability to deform is tunable by means of the mixing ratio of the PDMS precursor. Their flow through glass micronozzles allowed us to find the appropriate mixing ratio of PDMS to have approximately the same Young's modulus (E) as that exhibited by real RBCs. Shear and extensional rheology and microrheology techniques were used to match the properties exhibited by human plasma and whole blood at body temperature (37 °C). Finally, we study the flow of our proposed fluid through a microfluidic channel, showing the in vitro reproduction of the multiphase flow effects taking place in the human microcirculatory system, such as the cell-free layer (CFL) and the Fåhræus-Lindqvist effect. A macroscale application in the field of forensic science is also presented, concerning the impact of our blood analogue droplets on a solid surface for bloodstain pattern analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rubio
- Depto. de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain. ejvega@unex
| | - M López
- Depto. de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain. ejvega@unex
| | - T Rodrigues
- CEFT, Depto. de Engenharia Mecânica, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - L Campo-Deaño
- CEFT, Depto. de Engenharia Mecânica, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - E J Vega
- Depto. de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain. ejvega@unex
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13
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Nardini M, Ciasca G, Lauria A, Rossi C, Di Giacinto F, Romanò S, Di Santo R, Papi M, Palmieri V, Perini G, Basile U, Alcaro FD, Di Stasio E, Bizzarro A, Masullo C, De Spirito M. Sensing red blood cell nano-mechanics: Toward a novel blood biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:932354. [PMID: 36204549 PMCID: PMC9530048 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.932354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are characterized by a remarkable elasticity, which allows them to undergo very large deformation when passing through small vessels and capillaries. This extreme deformability is altered in various clinical conditions, suggesting that the analysis of red blood cell (RBC) mechanics has potential applications in the search for non-invasive and cost-effective blood biomarkers. Here, we provide a comparative study of the mechanical response of RBCs in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy subjects. For this purpose, RBC viscoelastic response was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the force spectroscopy mode. Two types of analyses were performed: (i) a conventional analysis of AFM force-distance (FD) curves, which allowed us to retrieve the apparent Young's modulus, E; and (ii) a more in-depth analysis of time-dependent relaxation curves in the framework of the standard linear solid (SLS) model, which allowed us to estimate cell viscosity and elasticity, independently. Our data demonstrate that, while conventional analysis of AFM FD curves fails in distinguishing the two groups, the mechanical parameters obtained with the SLS model show a very good classification ability. The diagnostic performance of mechanical parameters was assessed using receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curves, showing very large areas under the curves (AUC) for selected biomarkers (AUC > 0.9). Taken all together, the data presented here demonstrate that RBC mechanics are significantly altered in AD, also highlighting the key role played by viscous forces. These RBC abnormalities in AD, which include both a modified elasticity and viscosity, could be considered a potential source of plasmatic biomarkers in the field of liquid biopsy to be used in combination with more established indicators of the pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Nardini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Lauria
- Unitá Operativa Complessa Neuroriabilitazione ad Alta Intensitá, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Rossi
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Di Giacinto
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Romanò
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Di Santo
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Palmieri
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi (ISC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Giordano Perini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Basile
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca D. Alcaro
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Di Stasio
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bizzarro
- Unitáă Operativa Complessa Continuità assistenziale, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Masullo
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Neurologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco De Spirito
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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14
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Besedina NA, Skverchinskaya EA, Shmakov SV, Ivanov AS, Mindukshev IV, Bukatin AS. Persistent red blood cells retain their ability to move in microcapillaries under high levels of oxidative stress. Commun Biol 2022; 5:659. [PMID: 35787676 PMCID: PMC9253111 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03620-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is one of the key factors that leads to red blood cells (RBCs) aging, and impairs their biomechanics and oxygen delivery. It occurs during numerous pathological processes and causes anaemia, one of the most frequent side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Here, we used microfluidics to simulate the microcirculation of RBCs under oxidative stress induced by tert-Butyl hydroperoxide. Oxidative stress was expected to make RBCs more rigid, which would lead to decrease their transit velocity in microfluidic channels. However, single-cell tracking combined with cytological and AFM studies reveals cell heterogeneity, which increases with the level of oxidative stress. The data indicates that the built-in antioxidant defence system has a limit exceeding which haemoglobin oxidation, membrane, and cytoskeleton transformation occurs. It leads to cell swelling, increased stiffness and adhesion, resulting in a decrease in the transit velocity in microcapillaries. However, even at high levels of oxidative stress, there are persistent cells in the population with an undisturbed biophysical phenotype that retain the ability to move in microcapillaries. Developed microfluidic analysis can be used to determine RBCs' antioxidant capacity for the minimization of anaemia during cancer chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alexander S Ivanov
- Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor V Mindukshev
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the RAS, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anton S Bukatin
- Department of Physics, Alferov University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. .,Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the RAS, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
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15
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Introini V, Govendir MA, Rayner JC, Cicuta P, Bernabeu M. Biophysical Tools and Concepts Enable Understanding of Asexual Blood Stage Malaria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:908241. [PMID: 35711656 PMCID: PMC9192966 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.908241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Forces and mechanical properties of cells and tissues set constraints on biological functions, and are key determinants of human physiology. Changes in cell mechanics may arise from disease, or directly contribute to pathogenesis. Malaria gives many striking examples. Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, are single-celled organisms that cannot survive outside their hosts; thus, thost-pathogen interactions are fundamental for parasite’s biological success and to the host response to infection. These interactions are often combinations of biochemical and mechanical factors, but most research focuses on the molecular side. However, Plasmodium infection of human red blood cells leads to changes in their mechanical properties, which has a crucial impact on disease pathogenesis because of the interaction of infected red blood cells with other human tissues through various adhesion mechanisms, which can be probed and modelled with biophysical techniques. Recently, natural polymorphisms affecting red blood cell biomechanics have also been shown to protect human populations, highlighting the potential of understanding biomechanical factors to inform future vaccines and drug development. Here we review biophysical techniques that have revealed new aspects of Plasmodium falciparum invasion of red blood cells and cytoadhesion of infected cells to the host vasculature. These mechanisms occur differently across Plasmodium species and are linked to malaria pathogenesis. We highlight promising techniques from the fields of bioengineering, immunomechanics, and soft matter physics that could be beneficial for studying malaria. Some approaches might also be applied to other phases of the malaria lifecycle and to apicomplexan infections with complex host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Introini
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Viola Introini,
| | - Matt A. Govendir
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Cicuta
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Bernabeu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Matthews K, Lamoureux ES, Myrand-Lapierre ME, Duffy SP, Ma H. Technologies for measuring red blood cell deformability. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1254-1274. [PMID: 35266475 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01058a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Human red blood cells (RBCs) are approximately 8 μm in diameter, but must repeatedly deform through capillaries as small as 2 μm in order to deliver oxygen to all parts of the body. The loss of this capability is associated with the pathology of many diseases, and is therefore a potential biomarker for disease status and treatment efficacy. Measuring RBC deformability is a difficult problem because of the minute forces (∼pN) that must be exerted on these cells, as well as the requirements for throughput and multiplexing. The development of technologies for measuring RBC deformability date back to the 1960s with the development of micropipette aspiration, ektacytometry, and the cell transit analyzer. In the past 10 years, significant progress has been made using microfluidics by leveraging the ability to precisely control fluid flow through microstructures at the size scale of individual RBCs. These technologies have now surpassed traditional methods in terms of sensitivity, throughput, consistency, and ease of use. As a result, these efforts are beginning to move beyond feasibility studies and into applications to enable biomedical discoveries. In this review, we provide an overview of both traditional and microfluidic techniques for measuring RBC deformability. We discuss the capabilities of each technique and compare their sensitivity, throughput, and robustness in measuring bulk and single-cell RBC deformability. Finally, we discuss how these tools could be used to measure changes in RBC deformability in the context of various applications including pathologies caused by malaria and hemoglobinopathies, as well as degradation during storage in blood bags prior to blood transfusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerryn Matthews
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erik S Lamoureux
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve Myrand-Lapierre
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Simon P Duffy
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Institute of Technology, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hongshen Ma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Urologic Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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17
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Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Applications in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073700. [PMID: 35409059 PMCID: PMC8998711 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited heart muscle disorder characterized by progressive replacement of cardiomyocytes by fibrofatty tissue, ventricular dilatation, cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Interest in molecular biomechanics for these disorders is constantly growing. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a well-established technic to study the mechanobiology of biological samples under physiological and pathological conditions at the cellular scale. However, a review which described all the different data that can be obtained using the AFM (cell elasticity, adhesion behavior, viscoelasticity, beating force, and frequency) is still missing. In this review, we will discuss several techniques that highlight the potential of AFM to be used as a tool for assessing the biomechanics involved in ACM. Indeed, analysis of genetically mutated cells with AFM reveal abnormalities of the cytoskeleton, cell membrane structures, and defects of contractility. The higher the Young’s modulus, the stiffer the cell, and it is well known that abnormal tissue stiffness is symptomatic of a range of diseases. The cell beating force and frequency provide information during the depolarization and repolarization phases, complementary to cell electrophysiology (calcium imaging, MEA, patch clamp). In addition, original data is also presented to emphasize the unique potential of AFM as a tool to assess fibrosis in cardiac tissue.
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18
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Amorim MDSDN, Batista JA, Junior FM, Fontes A, Santos-Oliveira R, Rebelo Alencar LM. New Insights into Hemolytic Anemias: Ultrastructural and Nanomechanical Investigation of Red Blood Cells Showed Early Morphological Changes. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2022; 18:405-421. [PMID: 35484760 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2022.3267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Several diseases are characterized by changes in the mechanical properties of erythrocytes. Hemolytic anemias are an example of these diseases. Among the hemolytic anemias, Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia are the most common, characterized by alterations in the structure of their hemoglobin. Sickle cell disease has a pathological origin in synthesizing abnormal hemoglobin, HbS. In contrast, thalassemia results in extinction or decreased synthesis of α and β hemoglobin chains. This work presents a detailed study of biophysical and ultrastructural early erythrocytes membrane alterations at the nanoscale using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Cells from individuals with sickle cell anemia and thalassemia mutations were studied. The analysis methodology in the AFM was given by blood smear and exposure of the inner membrane for ghost analysis. A robust statistic was used with 65,536 force curves for each map, ten cells of each type, with three individuals for each sample group. The results showed significant differences in cell rigidity, adhesion, volume, and roughness at early morphological alterations, bringing new perspectives for understanding pathogenesis. The sickle cell trait (HbAS) results stand out. Significant alterations were observed in the membrane properties, bringing new perspectives for the knowledge of this mutation. This work presents ultrastructural and biomechanical signatures of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia genotypes, which may help determine a more accurate biophysical description and clinical prognosis for these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria do Socorro do N Amorim
- Federal University of Maranhão, Department of Physics, Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Jerias A Batista
- Federal University of Maranhão, Department of Physics, Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Francisco Maia Junior
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Statistics, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid, Mossoró, 59625-900, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Adriana Fontes
- Department of Biophysics and Radiobiology, Center for Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, 52171-011, Brazil
| | - Ralph Santos-Oliveira
- Zona Oeste State University, Laboratory of Nanoradiopharmaceuticals and Radiopharmacy, Rio de Janeiro, 23070200, Brazil
| | - Luciana M Rebelo Alencar
- Federal University of Maranhão, Department of Physics, Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
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19
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Leseman ZC. Design of a Microscale Optomechanical Load Cell for Micro-/Nanostructured Materials Testing Applications. ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13369-021-06019-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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20
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Ridolfi A, Caselli L, Baldoni M, Montis C, Mercuri F, Berti D, Valle F, Brucale M. Stiffness of Fluid and Gel Phase Lipid Nanovesicles: Weighting the Contributions of Membrane Bending Modulus and Luminal Pressurization. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:12027-12037. [PMID: 34610740 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of biogenic membranous compartments are thought to be relevant in numerous biological processes; however, their quantitative measurement remains challenging for most of the already available force spectroscopy (FS)-based techniques. In particular, the debate on the mechanics of lipid nanovesicles and on the interpretation of their mechanical response to an applied force is still open. This is mostly due to the current lack of a unified model being able to describe the mechanical response of both gel and fluid phase lipid vesicles and to disentangle the contributions of membrane rigidity and luminal pressure. In this framework, we herein propose a simple model in which the interplay of membrane rigidity and luminal pressure to the overall vesicle stiffness is described as a series of springs; this approach allows estimating these two contributions for both gel and fluid phase liposomes. Atomic force microscopy-based FS, performed on both vesicles and supported lipid bilayers, is exploited for obtaining all the parameters involved in the model. Moreover, the use of coarse-grained full-scale molecular dynamics simulations allowed for better understanding of the differences in the mechanical responses of gel and fluid phase bilayers and supported the experimental findings. The results suggest that the pressure contribution is similar among all the probed vesicle types; however, it plays a dominant role in the mechanical response of lipid nanovesicles presenting a fluid phase membrane, while its contribution becomes comparable to the one of membrane rigidity in nanovesicles with a gel phase lipid membrane. The results presented herein offer a simple way to quantify two of the most important parameters in vesicle nanomechanics (membrane rigidity and internal pressurization), and as such represent a first step toward a currently unavailable, unified model for the mechanical response of gel and fluid phase lipid nanovesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ridolfi
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Caselli
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Matteo Baldoni
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Costanza Montis
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Mercuri
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Debora Berti
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Valle
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Brucale
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy
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21
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Lima EB, Silva GT. Mean acoustic fields exerted on a subwavelength axisymmetric particle. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:376. [PMID: 34340478 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic radiation force produced by ultrasonic waves is the "workhorse" of particle manipulation in acoustofluidics. Nonspherical particles are also subjected to a mean torque known as the acoustic radiation torque. Together they constitute the mean acoustic fields exerted on the particle. Analytical methods alone cannot calculate these fields on arbitrarily shaped particles in actual fluids and are no longer fit for purpose. Here, a semi-analytical approach is introduced for handling subwavelength axisymmetric particles immersed in an isotropic Newtonian fluid. The obtained mean acoustic fields depend on the scattering coefficients that reflect the monopole and dipole modes. These coefficients are determined by numerically solving the scattering problem. Our method is benchmarked by comparison with the exact result for a subwavelength rigid sphere in water. Besides, a more realistic case of a red blood cell immersed in blood plasma under a standing ultrasonic wave is investigated with our methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everton B Lima
- Physical Acoustics Group, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Alabama 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Glauber T Silva
- Physical Acoustics Group, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Alabama 57072-970, Brazil
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22
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López-Canizales AM, Angulo-Molina A, Garibay-Escobar A, Silva-Campa E, Mendez-Rojas MA, Santacruz-Gómez K, Acosta-Elías M, Castañeda-Medina B, Soto-Puebla D, Álvarez-Bajo O, Burgara-Estrella A, Pedroza-Montero M. Nanoscale Changes on RBC Membrane Induced by Storage and Ionizing Radiation: A Mini-Review. Front Physiol 2021; 12:669455. [PMID: 34149450 PMCID: PMC8213202 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.669455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The storage lesions and the irradiation of blood cellular components for medical procedures in blood banks are events that may induce nanochanges in the membrane of red blood cells (RBCs). Alterations, such as the formation of pores and vesicles, reduce flexibility and compromise the overall erythrocyte integrity. This review discusses the alterations on erythrocytic lipid membrane bilayer through their characterization by confocal scanning microscopy, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy techniques. The interrelated experimental results may address and shed light on the correlation of biomechanical and biochemical transformations induced in the membrane and cytoskeleton of stored and gamma-irradiated RBC. To highlight the main advantages of combining these experimental techniques simultaneously or sequentially, we discuss how those outcomes observed at micro- and nanoscale cell levels are useful as biomarkers of cell aging and storage damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aracely Angulo-Molina
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | | | - Erika Silva-Campa
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Miguel A. Mendez-Rojas
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Mexico
| | | | - Mónica Acosta-Elías
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | | | - Diego Soto-Puebla
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Osiris Álvarez-Bajo
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
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23
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Rahman MH, Wong CHN, Lee MM, Chan MK, Ho YP. Efficient encapsulation of functional proteins into erythrocytes by controlled shear-mediated membrane deformation. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2121-2128. [PMID: 34002198 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01077d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are attractive carriers of biomolecular payloads due to their biocompatibility and the ability to shelter their encapsulated cargo. Commonly employed strategies to encapsulate payloads into RBCs, such as hypotonic shock, membrane fusion or electroporation, often suffer from low throughput and unrecoverable membrane impairment. This work describes an investigation of a method to encapsulate protein payloads into RBCs by controlling membrane deformation either transiently or extendedly in a microfluidic channel. Under the optimized conditions, the loading efficiency of enhanced green fluorescent protein into mouse RBCs increased was about 2.5- and 4-fold compared to that with osmotic entrapment using transient and extended deformation, respectively. Significantly, mouse RBCs loaded with human arginase exhibit higher enzymatic activity and membrane integrity compared to their counterparts loaded by osmotic entrapment. These features together with the fact that this shear-mediated encapsulation strategy allows loading with physiological buffers highlight the key advantages of this approach compared to traditional osmotic entrapment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Habibur Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. and Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chung Hong Nathaniel Wong
- Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Marianne M Lee
- Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael K Chan
- Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi-Ping Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. and Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China and Hong Kong Branch of CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China and The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Regeneration Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
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24
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Sadek SH, Rubio M, Lima R, Vega EJ. Blood Particulate Analogue Fluids: A Review. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:2451. [PMID: 34065125 PMCID: PMC8126041 DOI: 10.3390/ma14092451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics has proven to be an extraordinary working platform to mimic and study blood flow phenomena and the dynamics of components of the human microcirculatory system. However, the use of real blood increases the complexity to perform these kinds of in vitro blood experiments due to diverse problems such as coagulation, sample storage, and handling problems. For this reason, interest in the development of fluids with rheological properties similar to those of real blood has grown over the last years. The inclusion of microparticles in blood analogue fluids is essential to reproduce multiphase effects taking place in a microcirculatory system, such as the cell-free layer (CFL) and Fähraeus-Lindqvist effect. In this review, we summarize the progress made in the last twenty years. Size, shape, mechanical properties, and even biological functionalities of microparticles produced/used to mimic red blood cells (RBCs) are critically exposed and analyzed. The methods developed to fabricate these RBC templates are also shown. The dynamic flow/rheology of blood particulate analogue fluids proposed in the literature (with different particle concentrations, in most of the cases, relatively low) is shown and discussed in-depth. Although there have been many advances, the development of a reliable blood particulate analogue fluid, with around 45% by volume of microparticles, continues to be a big challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Hassan Sadek
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Manuel Rubio
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Rui Lima
- MEtRICs, Mechanical Engineering Department, Campus de Azurém, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal;
- Transport Phenomena Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Emilio José Vega
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain; (S.H.S.); (M.R.)
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25
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Li Z, Yang X, Zhang Q, Yang W, Zhang H, Liu L, Liang W. Non-invasive acquisition of mechanical properties of cells via passive microfluidic mechanisms: A review. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:031501. [PMID: 34178202 PMCID: PMC8205512 DOI: 10.1063/5.0052185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The demand to understand the mechanical properties of cells from biomedical, bioengineering, and clinical diagnostic fields has given rise to a variety of research studies. In this context, how to use lab-on-a-chip devices to achieve accurate, high-throughput, and non-invasive acquisition of the mechanical properties of cells has become the focus of many studies. Accordingly, we present a comprehensive review of the development of the measurement of mechanical properties of cells using passive microfluidic mechanisms, including constriction channel-based, fluid-induced, and micropipette aspiration-based mechanisms. This review discusses how these mechanisms work to determine the mechanical properties of the cell as well as their advantages and disadvantages. A detailed discussion is also presented on a series of typical applications of these three mechanisms to measure the mechanical properties of cells. At the end of this article, the current challenges and future prospects of these mechanisms are demonstrated, which will help guide researchers who are interested to get into this area of research. Our conclusion is that these passive microfluidic mechanisms will offer more preferences for the development of lab-on-a-chip technologies and hold great potential for advancing biomedical and bioengineering research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghua Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Xieliu Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenfeng Liang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
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26
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Migliorini E, Cavalcanti-Adam EA, Uva AE, Fiorentino M, Gattullo M, Manghisi VM, Vaiani L, Boccaccio A. Nanoindentation of mesenchymal stem cells using atomic force microscopy: effect of adhesive cell-substrate structures. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 32:215706. [PMID: 33596559 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/abe748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The procedure commonly adopted to characterize cell materials using atomic force microscopy neglects the stress state induced in the cell by the adhesion structures that anchor it to the substrate. In several studies, the cell is considered as made from a single material and no specific information is provided regarding the mechanical properties of subcellular components. Here we present an optimization algorithm to determine separately the material properties of subcellular components of mesenchymal stem cells subjected to nanoindentation measurements. We assess how these properties change if the adhesion structures at the cell-substrate interface are considered or not in the algorithm. In particular, among the adhesion structures, the focal adhesions and the stress fibers were simulated. We found that neglecting the adhesion structures leads to underestimate the cell mechanical properties thus making errors up to 15%. This result leads us to conclude that the action of adhesion structures should be taken into account in nanoindentation measurements especially for cells that include a large number of adhesions to the substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisabetta Ada Cavalcanti-Adam
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio Emmanuele Uva
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Fiorentino
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Gattullo
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Vito Modesto Manghisi
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Vaiani
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Boccaccio
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy
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27
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Demchenkov EL, Nagdalian AA, Budkevich RO, Oboturova NP, Okolelova AI. Usage of atomic force microscopy for detection of the damaging effect of CdCl 2 on red blood cells membrane. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111683. [PMID: 33396015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of detecting the damaging effect of cadmium salts on red blood cells (RBC) membrane by atomic force microscopy and light microscopy was studied. White wistar rats RBC were incubated with cadmium chloride in concentrations of 1 μg/l, 10 μg/l, 100 μg/l, and 1000 μg/l for the research. A comparison of sample preparation methods proposed by other authors in previous studies is made. The optimal method that does not significantly affect the change in the morphological features of the cell is selected. The quantitative assessment of damaged and destroyed RBC depending on the concentration of cadmium was performed by optical microscopy. The study showed that CdCl2 has a damaging effect on the RBC membrane, which leads to the formation of non-specific cell forms. A comparative assessment was made between the methods of optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy for the suitability of studying the morphological characteristics of abnormal forms of the RBC. It is shown that the method of atomic force microscopy allows registering morphological changes in the RBC that cannot be registered by optical microscopy. It is pointed that CdCl2 has effect on destruction of the RBC and the formation of specific bulges on the RBC membrane. Influence of CdCl2 on the RBC mechanical properties was studied using atomic force microscopy. The possibility of using atomic force microscopy in studies of morphology and mechanical properties of the RBC under toxicity effect of cadmium is shown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A A Nagdalian
- North Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol, Russian Federation.
| | - R O Budkevich
- North Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol, Russian Federation
| | - N P Oboturova
- North Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol, Russian Federation
| | - A I Okolelova
- Kuban State Agrarian University, Krasnodar, Russian Federation
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28
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Venugopalan PL, Ghosh A. Investigating the Dynamics of the Magnetic Micromotors in Human Blood. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:289-296. [PMID: 33351633 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The field of micromotors has been growing exponentially with increased emphasis on biomedical applications, with various in vivo demonstrations of targeted drug delivery, biosensing, and gene delivery, among others. In parallel, these micromotors have been recently used for probing the rheological properties of both intra- and extracellular environments. Here, we demonstrate the application of magnetic micromotors for investigation of rheological properties of human blood. While there are several techniques to sense mechanical properties of blood, such as deformability of the red blood cells, this is the first experimental observation of using micromotors for these biophysical investigations. We hope that this will lead to a better understanding of the nature of interactions of micromotors with biological systems and expand the scope of micromotors for probing other related systems, such as interstitial fluids and other complex biological fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ambarish Ghosh
- Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
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29
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Paradkar S, Gambhire P. The Role of Cytoskeleton of a Red Blood Cell in Its Deformability. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-020-00221-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Irit Rosenhek‐Goldian
- Department of Chemical Research Support Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl 234 Rehovot ISRAEL
| | - Sidney R. Cohen
- Department of Chemical Research Support Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl 234 Rehovot ISRAEL
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31
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Di Giacinto F, Tartaglione L, Nardini M, Mazzini A, Romanò S, Rizzo GE, Papi M, De Spirito M, Pitocco D, Ciasca G. Searching for the Mechanical Fingerprint of Pre-diabetes in T1DM: A Case Report Study. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:569978. [PMID: 33117782 PMCID: PMC7552738 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.569978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the case of a 38 year-old Caucasian man enrolled in a study aimed at investigating the physical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) using advanced microscopy techniques, including Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). At the time of his first enrolment in the study, he had normal Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) values, a BMI of 24.1, and no other symptoms of diabetes, including fatigue, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and altered inflammatory and corpuscular RBC indices. The subject reported no family history of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite his apparently healthy conditions, the biomechanics of his RBCs was altered, showing increased values of stiffness and viscosity. More than 1 year after the mechanical measurements, the subject was admitted to the Operational Unit of Diabetology of the Policlinico Gemelli Hospital with high blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Here, we show these data, and we discuss the hypothesis that RBC mechanical properties could be sensitive to changes occurring during the pre-diabetic phase of T1DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Di Giacinto
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Linda Tartaglione
- Diabetes Care Unit, Catholic University School of Medicine and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Nardini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Mazzini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Romanò
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetano Emanuele Rizzo
- Diabetes Care Unit, Catholic University School of Medicine and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco De Spirito
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Pitocco
- Diabetes Care Unit, Catholic University School of Medicine and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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32
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Leo M, DI Giacinto F, Nardini M, Mazzini A, Rossi C, Porceddu E, Papi M, Grieco A, DE Spirito M, Ciasca G. Erythrocyte viscoelastic recovery after liver transplantation in a cirrhotic patient affected by spur cell anaemia. J Microsc 2020; 280:287-296. [PMID: 32885445 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In physiological conditions, red blood cells (RBCs) are capable of dramatic deformations when passing through the microvasculature. This extreme deformability is closely related to the RBC biconcave shape, to the fluidic nature of the haemoglobin and the cell membrane structure, primarily consisting of a phospholipid bilayer with an underlying two-dimensional spectrin network. In many pathological and inflammatory conditions, the shape and the extreme deformability of erythrocytes appear to be significantly altered. These findings have stimulated intense research towards the search and validation of novel erythrocyte-based mechanical biomarkers, useful for disease diagnosis and therapy monitoring. In this study, we investigated with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) the mechanical properties of erythrocytes obtained from a 68 years old cirrhotic man diagnosed with spur cell anaemia and cold agglutinated disease, before and after liver transplantation. Mechanical changes are compared with ultrastructural alterations as studied by scanning electron microscopy and discussed according to confocal fluorescence microscopy results, showing possible alterations induced by the cirrhotic environment at the level of the RBCs cytoskeletal organisation and lipidic composition. Taken together, the results here presented show that liver transplantation not only contributes to restoring the proper RBC morphology, but it also induces recovery of the physiological viscous behaviour of cells, further stressing the relevance of viscous and dissipative forces in determining the RBC biomechanical response.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Leo
- Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - F DI Giacinto
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - M Nardini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - A Mazzini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - C Rossi
- Area Diagnostica di Laboratorio UOC Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - E Porceddu
- Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - M Papi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - A Grieco
- Liver Transplant Medicine Unit, Department of Gastroenterological, Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - M DE Spirito
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - G Ciasca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
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33
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Saadat A, Huyke DA, Oyarzun DI, Escobar PV, Øvreeide IH, Shaqfeh ESG, Santiago JG. A system for the high-throughput measurement of the shear modulus distribution of human red blood cells. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2927-2936. [PMID: 32648561 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00283f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reduced deformability of red blood cells (RBCs) can affect the hemodynamics of the microcirculation and reduce oxygen transport efficiency. It is also well known that reduced RBC deformability is a signature of various physical disorders, including sepsis, and that the primary determinant of RBC deformability is the membrane shear modulus. To measure the distribution of an individual's RBC shear modulus with high throughput, we a) developed a high-fidelity computational model of RBCs in confined microchannels to inform design decisions; b) created a novel experimental system combining microfluidic flow, imaging, and image analysis; and c) performed automated comparisons between measured quantities and numerical predictions to extract quantitative measures of the RBC shear modulus for each of thousands of cells. We applied our computational simulation platform to construct the appropriate deformability figure(s) of merit to quantify RBC stiffness based on an experimentally measured, steady-state cell shape in flow through a microchannel. In particular, we determined a shape parameter based on the second moment of the cell shape that is sensitive to the changes in the membrane stiffness and cell size. We then conducted microfluidic experiments and developed custom automated image processing codes to identify and track the position and shape of individual RBCs within micro-constrictions. The fabricated microchannels include a square cross-section imaging region (7 by 7 μm) and we applied order 10 kPa pressure differences to induce order 10 mm s-1 cell velocities. The combination of modeling, microfluidics, and imaging enables, for the first time, quantitative measurement of the shear moduli of thousands of RBCs in human blood samples. We demonstrate the high-throughput features by sensitive quantification of the changes in the distribution of RBC stiffness with aging. This combined measurement and computational platform is ultimately intended to diagnose blood cell disorders in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Saadat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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34
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Wang Y, Sang J, Ao R, Ma Y, Fu B. Numerical simulation of deformed red blood cell by utilizing neural network approach and finite element analysis. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2020; 23:1190-1200. [DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2020.1791836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianbing Sang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Rihan Ao
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Ma
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Bowei Fu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
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35
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Hymel SJ, Lan H, Khismatullin DB. Elongation Index as a Sensitive Measure of Cell Deformation in High-Throughput Microfluidic Systems. Biophys J 2020; 119:493-501. [PMID: 32697978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the promising approaches for high-throughput screening of cell mechanotype is microfluidic deformability cytometry (mDC), in which the apparent deformation index (DI) of the cells stretched by extensional flow at the stagnation point of a cross-slot microchannel is measured. The DI is subject to substantial measurement errors due to cell offset from the flow centerline and velocity fluctuations in inlet channels, leading to artificial widening of DI versus cell size plots. Here, we simulated an mDC experiment using a custom computational algorithm for viscoelastic cell migration. Cell motion and deformation in a cross-slot channel was modeled for fixed or randomized values of cellular mechanical properties (diameter, shear elasticity, cortical tension) and initial cell placement, with or without sinusoidal fluctuations between the inlet velocities. Our numerical simulation indicates that mDC loses sensitivity to changes in shear elasticity when the offset distance exceeds 5 μm, and just 1% velocity fluctuation causes an 11.7% drop in the DI. The obtained relationships between the cell diameter, shear elasticity, and offset distance were used to establish a new measure of cell deformation, referred to as the "elongation index" (EI). In the randomized study, the EI scatter plots were visibly separated for the low- and high-elasticity populations of cells, with a mean of 300 and 3500 Pa, whereas the standard DI output was unable to distinguish between these two groups of cells. The successful suppression of the offset artifacts with a narrower data distribution was shown for the EI output of MCF-7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Hymel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Hongzhi Lan
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Damir B Khismatullin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
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36
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Tang F, Chen D, Zhang S, Hu W, Chen J, Zhou H, Zeng Z, Wang X. Elastic hysteresis loop acts as cell deformability in erythrocyte aging. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183309. [PMID: 32298678 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The decrease in cellular deformability shows strong correlation with erythrocyte aging. Cell deformation can be divided into passive deformation and active deformation; however, the active deformation has been ignored in previous studies. In this work, Young's moduli of age-related erythrocytes were tested by atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the deformation and passive and active deformation values were calculated by respective areas. Our results showed that erythrocytes in the densest fraction had the highest values of the Young's modulus, deformation, and active deformation, but the lowest values of passive deformation. Moreover, values of the deformation and active deformation both increased gradually with erythrocyte aging. The present data indicate that the elastic hysteresis loop between the approach and the retract curve could be regarded as erythrocyte deformability, and cellular deformability could be characterized by energy states. In addition, active deformation might be a crucial mechanical factor for clearing aged erythrocytes. This could provide an important information on erythrocyte biomechanics in the removal of aged cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuzhou Tang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, PR China; Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medica University, Guizhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Dong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Shichao Zhang
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medica University, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Wenhui Hu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Jin Chen
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medica University, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Houming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Zhu Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, PR China.
| | - Xiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, PR China.
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Man Y, Kucukal E, An R, Watson QD, Bosch J, Zimmerman PA, Little JA, Gurkan UA. Microfluidic assessment of red blood cell mediated microvascular occlusion. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2086-2099. [PMID: 32427268 PMCID: PMC7473457 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00112k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal red blood cell (RBC) deformability contributes to hemolysis, thrombophilia, inflammation, and microvascular occlusion in various circulatory diseases. A quantitative and objective assessment of microvascular occlusion mediated by RBCs with abnormal deformability would provide valuable insights into disease pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies. To that end, we present a new functional microfluidic assay, OcclusionChip, which mimics two key architectural features of the capillary bed in the circulatory system. First, the embedded micropillar arrays within the microchannel form gradient microcapillaries, from 20 μm down to 4 μm, which mimic microcapillary networks. These precisely engineered microcapillaries retain RBCs with impaired deformability, such that stiffer RBCs occlude the wider upstream microcapillaries, while less stiff RBCs occlude the finer downstream microcapillaries. Second, the micropillar arrays are coupled with two side passageways, which mimic the arteriovenous anastomoses that act as shunts in the capillary bed. These side microfluidic anastomoses prevent microchannel blockage, and enable versatility and testing of clinical blood samples at near-physiologic hematocrit levels. Further, we define a new generalizable parameter, Occlusion Index (OI), which is an indicative index of RBC deformability and the associated microcapillary occlusion. We demonstrate the promise of OcclusionChip in diverse pathophysiological scenarios that result in impaired RBC deformability, including mercury toxin, storage lesion, end-stage renal disease, malaria, and sickle cell disease (SCD). Hydroxyurea therapy improves RBC deformability and increases fetal hemoglobin (HbF%) in some, but not all, treated patients with SCD. HbF% greater than 8.6% has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in SCD. We show that OI associates with HbF% in 16 subjects with SCD. Subjects with higher HbF levels (HbF > 8.6%) displayed significantly lower OI (0.88% ± 0.10%, N = 6) compared with those with lower HbF levels (HbF ≤ 8.6%) who displayed greater OI (3.18% ± 0.34%, N = 10, p < 0.001). Moreover, hypoxic OcclusionChip assay revealed a significant correlation between hypoxic OI and subject-specific sickle hemoglobin (HbS) level in SCD. OcclusionChip enables versatile in vitro assessment of microvascular occlusion mediated by RBCs in a wide range of clinical conditions. OI may serve as a new parameter to evaluate the efficacy of treatments improving RBC deformability, including hemoglobin modifying drugs, anti-sickling agents, and genetic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuncheng Man
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Yang F, Chen Z, Xing D. Single-Cell Photoacoustic Microrheology. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2020; 39:1791-1800. [PMID: 31825862 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2019.2958112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Rheological properties, such as elasticity and viscosity, are fundamental biomechanical parameters that are related to the function and pathological status of cells and tissues. In this paper, an innovative photoacoustic microrheology (PAMR), which utilized the time and phase characteristics of photoacoustic (PA) response, was proposed to extract elastic modulus and viscosity. The feasibility and accuracy of the method were validated by tissue-mimicking agar-gelatin phantoms with various viscoelasticity values. PAMR realized single cell elasticity and viscosity mappings on the adipocyte and myocyte with micrometer scale. In clinical samples, normal blood cells and iron deficiency anemia cells were successfully distinguished due to their various rheological properties. This method expands the scope of conventional PA imaging and opens new possibilities for developing microrheological technology, prefiguring great clinical potential for interrogating mechanocellular properties.
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Visser MJ, Pretorius E. Atomic Force Microscopy: The Characterisation of Amyloid Protein Structure in Pathology. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 19:2958-2973. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666191121143240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
:
Proteins are versatile macromolecules that perform a variety of functions and participate in
virtually all cellular processes. The functionality of a protein greatly depends on its structure and alterations
may result in the development of diseases. Most well-known of these are protein misfolding disorders,
which include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus, where
soluble proteins transition into insoluble amyloid fibrils. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is capable of
providing a topographical map of the protein and/or its aggregates, as well as probing the nanomechanical
properties of a sample. Moreover, AFM requires relatively simple sample preparation, which presents
the possibility of combining this technique with other research modalities, such as confocal laser
scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and stimulated emission depletion microscopy. In this review,
the basic principles of AFM are discussed, followed by a brief overview of how it has been applied
in biological research. Finally, we focus specifically on its use as a characterisation method to
study protein structure at the nanoscale in pathophysiological conditions, considering both molecules
implicated in disease pathogenesis and the plasma protein fibrinogen. In conclusion, AFM is a userfriendly
tool that supplies multi-parametric data, rendering it a most valuable technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J.E. Visser
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1 Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1 Matieland, 7602, South Africa
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A microfluidic method generating monodispersed microparticles with controllable sizes and mechanical properties. Chem Eng Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2019.115322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Selvan R, Parthasarathi P, Iyengar SS, Ananthamurthy S, Bhattacharya S. Estimation of membrane bending modulus of stiffness tuned human red blood cells from micropore filtration studies. PLoS One 2020; 14:e0226640. [PMID: 31891585 PMCID: PMC6938315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human red blood cells (RBCs) need to deform in order to pass through capillaries in human vasculature with diameter smaller than that of the RBC. An altered RBC cell membrane stiffness (CMS), thereby, is likely to have consequences on their flow rate. RBC CMS is known to be affected by several commonly encountered disease conditions. This study was carried out to investigate whether an increase in RBC CMS, to the extent seen in such commonly encountered medical conditions, affects the RBC flow rate through channels with diameters comparable to that of the RBC. To do this, we use RBCs extracted from a healthy individual with no known medical conditions and treated with various concentrations of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). We study their flow through polycarbonate membranes with pores of diameter 5μm and 8μm which are smaller than and comparable to the RBC diameter respectively. The studies are carried out at constant hematocrit and volumetric flow rate. We find that when the diameter of the capillary is smaller than that of the RBC, the flow rate of the RBCs is lowered as the concentration of BSA is increased while the reverse is true when the diameter is comparable to that of the RBC. We confirm that this is a consequence of altered CMS of the RBCs from their reorientation dynamics in an Optical Tweezer. We find that a treatment with 0.50mg/ml BSA mimics the situation for RBCs extracted from a healthy individual while concentrations higher than 0.50mg/ml elevate the RBC CMS across a range expected for individuals with a condition of hyperglycemia. Using a simple theoretical model of the RBC deformation process at the entry of a narrow channel, we extract the RBC membrane bending modulus from their flow rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rekha Selvan
- Department of Physics, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India
| | | | | | - Sharath Ananthamurthy
- Department of Physics, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India
- School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Aifantis KE, Shrivastava S, Pelidou SH, Ngan AHW, Baloyannis SI. Relating the blood-thinning effect of pentoxifylline to the reduction in the elastic modulus of human red blood cells: an in vivo study. Biomater Sci 2019; 7:2545-2551. [PMID: 30973560 DOI: 10.1039/c8bm01691g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The blood thinning properties of pentoxifylline have been attributed to its ability to increase the deformability of red blood cells and improve their rheological properties. To interpret and substantiate these observations a novel approach is taken by measuring the stiffness of individual red blood cells from healthy humans before and after subscription to pentoxifylline for nine days. Atomic force microscopy nanoindentation experiments reveal that the elastic modulus of the red blood cells decreased by 30%-40%, after pentoxifylline subscription. This decrease in elastic modulus is related to the ability of pentoxifylline to increase the production of ATP and lower Ca2+ concentrations in red blood cells. The present in vivo experiments provide a deeper understanding of the mode of action of pentoxifylline, and pave the way to using indentation in medicine. A further unique advantage of this study is that it was performed on healthy volunteers, rather than requiring in vitro incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina E Aifantis
- Lab of Mechanics and Materials, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Alterations to the contents of plasma membrane structural lipids are associated with structural changes and compartmentalization in platelets in hypertension. Exp Cell Res 2019; 385:111692. [PMID: 31689412 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2019.111692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Arterial hypertension (HTN) can lead to serious organ damage. Several mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of HTN including constitutive activation of platelets, which increases the risk of aggregation and clot formation. We recently demonstrated the plasma membranes of platelets from patients with HTN exhibit modified structural and physicochemical properties; Raman and Fourier transform infrared by attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy also indicated lipid content and protein structure alterations. This study aimed to precisely quantify the constituents of the main structural phospholipids and cholesterol in the plasma membranes of platelets from patients with HTN and normotensive individuals. We also assessed the consequence of these alterations on platelet structure and function. Liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry revealed the plasma membranes of HTN platelets contained less cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine, more phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine and had similar sphingosine contents. Atomic force microscopy revealed HTN platelets exhibited increased surface roughness and more pleats. Transmission electron microscopy revealed diminution of the internal membranous structures in HTN platelets. Our findings strongly suggest plasma membrane lipid content alterations-including cholesterol depletion-occur in HTN, and these alterations may induce morphological and physiological abnormalities that participate in the functional changes associated with hypertension.
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Targosz-Korecka M, Wnętrzak A, Chachaj-Brekiesz A, Gonet-Surówka A, Kubisiak A, Filiczkowska A, Szymoński M, Dynarowicz-Latka P. Effect of selected B-ring-substituted oxysterols on artificial model erythrocyte membrane and isolated red blood cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183067. [PMID: 31634445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, systematic studies concerning the influence of selected oxysterols on the structure and fluidity of human erythrocyte membrane modeled as Langmuir monolayers have been performed. Three oxidized cholesterol derivatives, namely 7α-hydroxycholesterol (7α-OH) 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7β-OH) and 7-ketocholesterol (7-K) have been incorporated in two different proportions (10 and 50%) into artificial erythrocyte membrane, modeled as two-component (cholesterol:POPC) Langmuir monolayer. All the studied oxysterols were found to alter membrane fluidity and the effect was more pronounced for higher oxysterol content. 7α-OH increased membrane fluidity while opposite effect was observed for 7β-OH and 7-K. Experiments performed on model systems have been verified in biological studies on red blood cells (RBC). Consistent results have been found, i.e. under the influence of 7α-OH, the elasticity of erythrocytes increased, and in the presence of other investigated oxysterols - decreased. The strongest effect was noticed for 7-K. Change of membrane elasticity was associated with the change of erythrocytes shape, being most noticeable under the influence of 7-K.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Targosz-Korecka
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anita Wnętrzak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Chachaj-Brekiesz
- Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Agata Kubisiak
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Filiczkowska
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
| | - Marek Szymoński
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
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Tognoni E, Orsini P, Pellegrino M. Nonlinear indentation of single human erythrocytes under application of a localized mechanical force. Micron 2019; 127:102760. [PMID: 31614267 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.102760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite the accepted notion that erythrocytes are uniquely deformable cells, the apparent Young's modulus values reported in the literature do not differ so much from those of other cells. We devised to measure the local deformability of living immobilized human erythrocytes at a low force, in contact-free mode, using an application of Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) previously developed in our laboratory. Reversible indentations were induced by forces of up to few hundreds pN. The indentation did not grow linearly with the force. The apparent Young's modulus varied from 0.2 to 1.5 kPa applying forces from 20 to 500 pN on a cell surface area of about 0.2 μm2, exhibiting a progressive stiffening at increasing force. Control measurements showed that A549 cells exhibit a constant value of the apparent Young's modulus (about 2 kPa) for forces up to about 800 pN. These findings show that SICM is a suitable tool to investigate cell mechanical properties, when forces in the range of tens of pN are required, in the absence of mechanical contact between probe and sample. The nonlinear deformation of the erythrocyte has to be taken into account in modeling the complex regulation mechanism of the microvascular beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tognoni
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Paolo Orsini
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, via S. Zeno 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mario Pellegrino
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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Liu J, Han Y, Hua W, Wang Y, You G, Li P, Liao F, Zhao L, Ding Y. Improved flowing behaviour and gas exchange of stored red blood cells by a compound porous structure. ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 47:1888-1897. [PMID: 31072140 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2019.1614018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Storage lesions in red blood cells (RBCs) hinder efficient circulation and tissue oxygenation. The absence of flow mechanics and gas exchange may contribute to this problem. To test if in vitro compensation of flow mechanics and gas exchange helps RBC recovery, three-dimensional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) porous structures were fabricated with a sugar mould, simulating lung alveoli. RBC suspensions were passed through the porous structure cyclically, simulating in vivo blood circulation. Acid-base indices, partial gas pressures, ions, glucose and RBC indices were analyzed. An atomic force microscope was used to investigate local mechanical properties of intact RBCs. RBCs suspensions that passed through the porous structures had a higher pH and oxygen partial pressure, and a lower potassium concentration and carbon dioxide partial pressure. Meantime they had better biochemical properties relative to static samples, namely, they exhibited a more homogenous distribution of Young's Modulus. RBCs that passed through a PDMS porous structure were healthier than static ones, giving hints to prevent RBC storage lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- a College of Life Sciences , University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Yusu Han
- b Chinese Medical College , Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Tianjin , P. R. China
| | - Wenda Hua
- c National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Ying Wang
- d Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Blood Safety and Supply Technologies , Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Guoxing You
- d Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Blood Safety and Supply Technologies , Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Penglong Li
- d Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Blood Safety and Supply Technologies , Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Fulong Liao
- c National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Lian Zhao
- d Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Blood Safety and Supply Technologies , Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
| | - Yongsheng Ding
- a College of Life Sciences , University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , P. R. China
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Facile spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy for the discrimination of α and β thalassemia traits and diseases: A photodiagnosis approach. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther 2019; 27:149-155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2019.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Sosnowska M, Kutwin M, Jaworski S, Strojny B, Wierzbicki M, Szczepaniak J, Łojkowski M, Święszkowski W, Bałaban J, Chwalibog A, Sawosz E. Mechano-signalling, induced by fullerene C 60 nanofilms, arrests the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and decreases proliferation of liver cancer cells. Int J Nanomedicine 2019; 14:6197-6215. [PMID: 31496681 PMCID: PMC6689765 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s206934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) changes the physicochemical properties and dysregulates ECM-cell interactions, leading to several pathological conditions, such as invasive cancer. Carbon nanofilm, as a biocompatible and easy to functionalize material, could be used to mimic ECM structures, changing cancer cell behavior to perform like normal cells. METHODS Experiments were performed in vitro with HS-5 cells (as a control) and HepG2 and C3A cancer cells. An aqueous solution of fullerene C60 was used to form a nanofilm. The morphological properties of cells cultivated on C60 nanofilms were evaluated with light, confocal, electron and atomic force microscopy. The cell viability and proliferation were measured by XTT and BrdU assays. Immunoblotting and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and determine the number of cells in the G2/M phase. RESULTS All cell lines were spread on C60 nanofilms, showing a high affinity to the nanofilm surface. We found that C60 nanofilm mimicked the niche/ECM of cells, was biocompatible and non-toxic, but the mechanical signal from C60 nanofilm created an environment that affected the cell cycle and reduced cell proliferation. CONCLUSION The results indicate that C60 nanofilms might be a suitable, substitute component for the niche of cancer cells. The incorporation of fullerene C60 in the ECM/niche may be an alternative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina Sosnowska
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Marta Kutwin
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Sławomir Jaworski
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Barbara Strojny
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Mateusz Wierzbicki
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Jarosław Szczepaniak
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - Maciej Łojkowski
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw00-661, Poland
| | - Wojciech Święszkowski
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw00-661, Poland
| | - Jaśmina Bałaban
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
| | - André Chwalibog
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg1870, Denmark
| | - Ewa Sawosz
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw02-786, Poland
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Cavalcanti D, Silva L. Application of atomic force microscopy in the analysis of time since deposition (TSD) of red blood cells in bloodstains: A forensic analysis. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 301:254-262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Kim BJ, Lee YS, Zhbanov A, Yang S. A physiometer for simultaneous measurement of whole blood viscosity and its determinants: hematocrit and red blood cell deformability. Analyst 2019; 144:3144-3157. [PMID: 30942211 DOI: 10.1039/c8an02135j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a microfluidic-based physiometer capable of measuring whole blood viscosity, hematocrit, and red blood cell (RBC) deformability on a chip is introduced. The physiometer consists of two major parts: a hydrodynamic component for whole blood viscosity measurement and an electronic component for hematocrit and RBC deformability measurement. In the hydrodynamic component, the whole blood is infused with phosphate buffered saline as a reference fluid for estimation of the whole blood viscosity. At a given flow rate, ten sets of whole blood viscosity readings are successfully obtained over a wide range of shear rates; this is achieved via a series of geometrically optimized microchannel arrays. In the electronic component, analysis of the whole blood impedance spectrum under flowing conditions reveals the electrical characteristics of the blood: the cytoplasm resistance (Rcytoplsm), plasma resistance (Rplasma), and RBC membrane capacitance (constant phase element). The hematocrit is estimated from Rcytoplsm and Rplasma, while the RBC deformation index is determined from the membrane capacitance change of the RBC. Each unique function is experimentally demonstrated and compared to the corresponding gold standard method. The whole blood viscosity measured using the physiometer is 0.8 ± 1.4% in normalized difference compared to that using a rotational cone-and-plate viscometer. For the hematocrit measurement, the coefficient of variation for the physiometer ranges from 0.3 to 1.2% which is lower than the one obtained from centrifugation. In the deformability measurement, there is a strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.97) between the deformation index acquired by image processing and the change in the membrane capacitance acquired by using the physiometer. The effects of the hematocrit and RBC deformability on the whole blood viscosity are also demonstrated. For simultaneous and reliable measurement on a chip, a physiometer equipped with a temperature-control system is prepared. Lab-made software enables the measurement of the three target indices and the temperature control in an automated manner. By using this system, the temperature is controlled to 36.9 ± 0.2 °C which greatly matches with the target temperature (37.0 °C) and it is varied from 25 °C to 43 °C. The developed physiometer is potentially applicable for a comprehensive analysis of biophysical indices in whole blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Jun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
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