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Shayor AA, Kabir ME, Rifath MSA, Rashid AB, Oh KW. A Synergistic Overview between Microfluidics and Numerical Research for Vascular Flow and Pathological Investigations. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:5872. [PMID: 39338617 PMCID: PMC11435959 DOI: 10.3390/s24185872] [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: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Vascular diseases are widespread, and sometimes such life-threatening medical disorders cause abnormal blood flow, blood particle damage, changes to flow dynamics, restricted blood flow, and other adverse effects. The study of vascular flow is crucial in clinical practice because it can shed light on the causes of stenosis, aneurysm, blood cancer, and many other such diseases, and guide the development of novel treatments and interventions. Microfluidics and computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) are two of the most promising new tools for investigating these phenomena. When compared to conventional experimental methods, microfluidics offers many benefits, including lower costs, smaller sample quantities, and increased control over fluid flow and parameters. In this paper, we address the strengths and weaknesses of computational and experimental approaches utilizing microfluidic devices to investigate the rheological properties of blood, the forces of action causing diseases related to cardiology, provide an overview of the models and methodologies of experiments, and the fabrication of devices utilized in these types of research, and portray the results achieved and their applications. We also discuss how these results can inform clinical practice and where future research should go. Overall, it provides insights into why a combination of both CFDs, and experimental methods can give even more detailed information on disease mechanisms recreated on a microfluidic platform, replicating the original biological system and aiding in developing the device or chip itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abrar Shayor
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Md Emamul Kabir
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh
- Sensors and MicroActuators Learning Lab (SMALL), Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Md Sartaj Ahamed Rifath
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh
| | - Adib Bin Rashid
- Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
| | - Kwang W Oh
- Sensors and MicroActuators Learning Lab (SMALL), Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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2
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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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3
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Huang H, Shang Z, Yu C. FRD-Net: a full-resolution dilated convolution network for retinal vessel segmentation. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 15:3344-3365. [PMID: 38855685 PMCID: PMC11161363 DOI: 10.1364/boe.522482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Accurate and automated retinal vessel segmentation is essential for performing diagnosis and surgical planning of retinal diseases. However, conventional U-shaped networks often suffer from segmentation errors when dealing with fine and low-contrast blood vessels due to the loss of continuous resolution in the encoding stage and the inability to recover the lost information in the decoding stage. To address this issue, this paper introduces an effective full-resolution retinal vessel segmentation network, namely FRD-Net, which consists of two core components: the backbone network and the multi-scale feature fusion module (MFFM). The backbone network achieves horizontal and vertical expansion through the interaction mechanism of multi-resolution dilated convolutions while preserving the complete image resolution. In the backbone network, the effective application of dilated convolutions with varying dilation rates, coupled with the utilization of dilated residual modules for integrating multi-scale feature maps from adjacent stages, facilitates continuous learning of multi-scale features to enhance high-level contextual information. Moreover, MFFM further enhances segmentation by fusing deeper multi-scale features with the original image, facilitating edge detail recovery for accurate vessel segmentation. In tests on multiple classical datasets,compared to state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms, FRD-Net achieves superior performance and generalization with fewer model parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Huang
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhenhong Shang
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Chunhui Yu
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
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4
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Alexandrova-Watanabe A, Abadjieva E, Giosheva I, Langari A, Tiankov T, Gartchev E, Komsa-Penkova R, Todinova S. Assessment of Red Blood Cell Aggregation in Preeclampsia by Microfluidic Image Flow Analysis-Impact of Oxidative Stress on Disease Severity. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3732. [PMID: 38612543 PMCID: PMC11011533 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073732] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disease characterized by proteinuria, endothelial dysfunction, and placental hypoxia. Reduced placental blood flow causes changes in red blood cell (RBC) rheological characteristics. Herein, we used microfluidics techniques and new image flow analysis to evaluate RBC aggregation in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. The results demonstrate that RBC aggregation depends on the disease severity and was higher in patients with preterm birth and low birth weight. The RBC aggregation indices (EAI) at low shear rates were higher for non-severe (0.107 ± 0.01) and severe PE (0.149 ± 0.05) versus controls (0.085 ± 0.01; p < 0.05). The significantly more undispersed RBC aggregates were found at high shear rates for non-severe (18.1 ± 5.5) and severe PE (25.7 ± 5.8) versus controls (14.4 ± 4.1; p < 0.05). The model experiment with in-vitro-induced oxidative stress in RBCs demonstrated that the elevated aggregation in PE RBCs can be partially due to the effect of oxidation. The results revealed that RBCs from PE patients become significantly more adhesive, forming large, branched aggregates at a low shear rate. Significantly more undispersed RBC aggregates at high shear rates indicate the formation of stable RBC clusters, drastically more pronounced in patients with severe PE. Our findings demonstrate that altered RBC aggregation contributes to preeclampsia severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emilia Abadjieva
- Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.A.-W.); (E.A.); (T.T.)
| | - Ina Giosheva
- University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital “Maichin Dom”, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria; (I.G.); (E.G.)
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Ariana Langari
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Tihomir Tiankov
- Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.A.-W.); (E.A.); (T.T.)
| | - Emil Gartchev
- University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital “Maichin Dom”, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria; (I.G.); (E.G.)
| | | | - Svetla Todinova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
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5
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Evdochim L, Chiriac E, Avram M, Dobrescu L, Dobrescu D, Stanciu S, Halichidis S. Red Blood Cells' Area Deformation as the Origin of the Photoplethysmography Signal. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9515. [PMID: 38067889 PMCID: PMC10708758 DOI: 10.3390/s23239515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The origin of the photoplethysmography (PPG) signal is a debatable topic, despite plausible models being addressed. One concern revolves around the correlation between the mechanical waveform's pulsatile nature and the associated biomechanism. The interface between these domains requires a clear mathematical or physical model that can explain physiological behavior. Describing the correct origin of the recorded optical waveform not only benefits the development of the next generation of biosensors but also defines novel health markers. In this study, the assumption of a pulsatile nature is based on the mechanism of blood microcirculation. At this level, two interconnected phenomena occur: variation in blood flow velocity through the capillary network and red blood cell (RBC) shape deformation. The latter effect was qualitatively investigated in synthetic capillaries to assess the experimental data needed for PPG model development. Erythrocytes passed through 10 µm and 6 µm microchannel widths with imposed velocities between 50 µm/s and 2000 µm/s, according to real scenarios. As a result, the length and area deformation of RBCs followed a logarithmic law function of the achieved traveling speeds. Applying radiometric expertise on top, mechanical-optical insights are obtained regarding PPG's pulsatile nature. The mathematical equations derived from experimental data correlate microcirculation physiologic with waveform behavior at a high confidence level. The transfer function between the biomechanics and the optical signal is primarily influenced by the vasomotor state, capillary network orientation, concentration, and deformation performance of erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucian Evdochim
- Department of Electronic Devices, Circuits, and Architectures, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania; (L.D.); (D.D.)
| | - Eugen Chiriac
- National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies—IMT Bucharest, 077190 Voluntari, Romania; (E.C.); (M.A.)
| | - Marioara Avram
- National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies—IMT Bucharest, 077190 Voluntari, Romania; (E.C.); (M.A.)
| | - Lidia Dobrescu
- Department of Electronic Devices, Circuits, and Architectures, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania; (L.D.); (D.D.)
| | - Dragoș Dobrescu
- Department of Electronic Devices, Circuits, and Architectures, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania; (L.D.); (D.D.)
| | - Silviu Stanciu
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Noninvasive Investigations, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010242 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Stela Halichidis
- Department of Clinical Medical Disciplines, Faculty of Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, 900527 Constanta, Romania;
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6
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Shao M, Liu R, Li C, Sun Y, Zhong Z, Lu F, Zhou J, Zhong MC. Deformability of mouse erythrocytes in different diluents measured using optical tweezers. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7955-7962. [PMID: 37817638 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00923h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers are widely used to measure the mechanical properties of erythrocytes, which is crucial to the study of pathology and clinical diagnosis of disease. During the measurement, the blood sample is diluted and suspended in an exogenous physiological fluid, which may affect the elastic properties of the cells in vitro. Here, we investigate the effect of different diluents on the elastic properties of mouse erythrocytes by quantitatively evaluating their elastic constants using optical tweezers. The diluents are plasma extracted from mouse blood, veterinary blood diluent (V-52D), Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and normal saline (NS). To create an environment that closely resembles in vivo conditions, the experiment is performed at 36.5 °C. The results show that the spring constant of mouse erythrocytes in plasma is 6.23 ± 0.41 μN m-1. The elasticity of mouse erythrocytes in V-52D and DMEM is 8.21 ± 0.91 and 6.95 ± 0.85 μN m-1, which are higher than that in plasma extracted from blood, whereas, the elasticity in PBS and NS is 4.23 ± 0.85 and 4.68 ± 0.79 μN m-1, which are less than that in plasma extracted from blood. At last, we observe the size and circularity of erythrocytes in different diluents, and consider that the erythrocyte diameter and circularity may affect cell deformability. Our results provide a reference of the diluent choice for measuring the mechanical properties of erythrocytes in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Shao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Measuring Theory and Precision Instrument, School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Rui Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Changxu Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Yue Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Zhensheng Zhong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Fengya Lu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Min-Cheng Zhong
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Measuring Theory and Precision Instrument, School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
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7
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Foy BH, Stefely JA, Bendapudi PK, Hasserjian RP, Al-Samkari H, Louissaint A, Fitzpatrick MJ, Hutchison B, Mow C, Collins J, Patel HR, Patel CH, Patel N, Ho SN, Kaufman RM, Dzik WH, Higgins JM, Makar RS. Computer vision quantitation of erythrocyte shape abnormalities provides diagnostic, prognostic, and mechanistic insight. Blood Adv 2023; 7:4621-4630. [PMID: 37146262 PMCID: PMC10448422 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Examination of red blood cell (RBC) morphology in peripheral blood smears can help diagnose hematologic diseases, even in resource-limited settings, but this analysis remains subjective and semiquantitative with low throughput. Prior attempts to develop automated tools have been hampered by their poor reproducibility and limited clinical validation. Here, we present a novel, open-source machine-learning approach (denoted as RBC-diff) to quantify abnormal RBCs in peripheral smear images and generate an RBC morphology differential. RBC-diff cell counts showed high accuracy for single-cell classification (mean AUC, 0.93) and quantitation across smears (mean R2, 0.76 compared with experts, interexperts R2, 0.75). RBC-diff counts were concordant with the clinical morphology grading for 300 000+ images and recovered the expected pathophysiologic signals in diverse clinical cohorts. Criteria using RBC-diff counts distinguished thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome from other thrombotic microangiopathies, providing greater specificity than clinical morphology grading (72% vs 41%; P < .001) while maintaining high sensitivity (94% to 100%). Elevated RBC-diff schistocyte counts were associated with increased 6-month all-cause mortality in a cohort of 58 950 inpatients (9.5% mortality for schist. >1%, vs 4.7% for schist; <0.5%; P < .001) after controlling for comorbidities, demographics, clinical morphology grading, and blood count indices. RBC-diff also enabled the estimation of single-cell volume-morphology distributions, providing insight into the influence of morphology on routine blood count measures. Our codebase and expert-annotated images are included here to spur further advancement. These results illustrate that computer vision can enable rapid and accurate quantitation of RBC morphology, which may provide value in both clinical and research contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brody H. Foy
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jonathan A. Stefely
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Blood Transfusion Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Pavan K. Bendapudi
- Blood Transfusion Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Hematology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robert P. Hasserjian
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Hanny Al-Samkari
- Division of Hematology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Abner Louissaint
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Megan J. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Bailey Hutchison
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Christopher Mow
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Mass General Brigham Enterprise Research IS, Boston, MA
| | - Julia Collins
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Hasmukh R. Patel
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Chhaya H. Patel
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nikita Patel
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Samantha N. Ho
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Richard M. Kaufman
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Walter H. Dzik
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Blood Transfusion Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - John M. Higgins
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robert S. Makar
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Blood Transfusion Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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An L, Ji F, Zhao E, Liu Y, Liu Y. Measuring cell deformation by microfluidics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1214544. [PMID: 37434754 PMCID: PMC10331473 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1214544] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Microfluidics is an increasingly popular method for studying cell deformation, with various applications in fields such as cell biology, biophysics, and medical research. Characterizing cell deformation offers insights into fundamental cell processes, such as migration, division, and signaling. This review summarizes recent advances in microfluidic techniques for measuring cellular deformation, including the different types of microfluidic devices and methods used to induce cell deformation. Recent applications of microfluidics-based approaches for studying cell deformation are highlighted. Compared to traditional methods, microfluidic chips can control the direction and velocity of cell flow by establishing microfluidic channels and microcolumn arrays, enabling the measurement of cell shape changes. Overall, microfluidics-based approaches provide a powerful platform for studying cell deformation. It is expected that future developments will lead to more intelligent and diverse microfluidic chips, further promoting the application of microfluidics-based methods in biomedical research, providing more effective tools for disease diagnosis, drug screening, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling An
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Fenglong Ji
- School of Textile Materials and Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
| | - Enming Zhao
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
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Salipante PF. Microfluidic techniques for mechanical measurements of biological samples. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:011303. [PMID: 38505816 PMCID: PMC10903441 DOI: 10.1063/5.0130762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The use of microfluidics to make mechanical property measurements is increasingly common. Fabrication of microfluidic devices has enabled various types of flow control and sensor integration at micrometer length scales to interrogate biological materials. For rheological measurements of biofluids, the small length scales are well suited to reach high rates, and measurements can be made on droplet-sized samples. The control of flow fields, constrictions, and external fields can be used in microfluidics to make mechanical measurements of individual bioparticle properties, often at high sampling rates for high-throughput measurements. Microfluidics also enables the measurement of bio-surfaces, such as the elasticity and permeability properties of layers of cells cultured in microfluidic devices. Recent progress on these topics is reviewed, and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F. Salipante
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Polymers and Complex Fluids Group, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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10
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Yi Y, Guo C, Hu Y, Zhou W, Wang W. BCR-UNet: Bi-directional ConvLSTM residual U-Net for retinal blood vessel segmentation. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1056226. [PMID: 36483248 PMCID: PMC9722738 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1056226] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High precision segmentation of retinal blood vessels from retinal images is a significant step for doctors to diagnose many diseases such as glaucoma and cardiovascular diseases. However, at the peripheral region of vessels, previous U-Net-based segmentation methods failed to significantly preserve the low-contrast tiny vessels. Methods For solving this challenge, we propose a novel network model called Bi-directional ConvLSTM Residual U-Net (BCR-UNet), which takes full advantage of U-Net, Dropblock, Residual convolution and Bi-directional ConvLSTM (BConvLSTM). In this proposed BCR-UNet model, we propose a novel Structured Dropout Residual Block (SDRB) instead of using the original U-Net convolutional block, to construct our network skeleton for improving the robustness of the network. Furthermore, to improve the discriminative ability of the network and preserve more original semantic information of tiny vessels, we adopt BConvLSTM to integrate the feature maps captured from the first residual block and the last up-convolutional layer in a nonlinear manner. Results and discussion We conduct experiments on four public retinal blood vessel datasets, and the results show that the proposed BCR-UNet can preserve more tiny blood vessels at the low-contrast peripheral regions, even outperforming previous state-of-the-art methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugen Yi
- School of Software, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Changlu Guo
- Yichun Economic and Technological Development Zone, Yichun, China,*Correspondence: Changlu Guo
| | - Yangtao Hu
- The 908th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, Nanchang, China,Yangtao Hu
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Computer Science, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wenle Wang
- School of Software, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
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11
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Dong F, Wu D, Guo C, Zhang S, Yang B, Gong X. CRAUNet: A cascaded residual attention U-Net for retinal vessel segmentation. Comput Biol Med 2022; 147:105651. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Azul M, Vital EF, Lam WA, Wood DK, Beckman JD. Microfluidic methods to advance mechanistic understanding and translational research in sickle cell disease. Transl Res 2022; 246:1-14. [PMID: 35354090 PMCID: PMC9218997 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a single point mutation in the β-globin gene of hemoglobin, which produces an altered sickle hemoglobin (HbS). The ability of HbS to polymerize under deoxygenated conditions gives rise to chronic hemolysis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and vaso-occlusion. Herein, we review recent findings using microfluidic technologies that have elucidated mechanisms of oxygen-dependent and -independent induction of HbS polymerization and how these mechanisms elicit the biophysical and inflammatory consequences in SCD pathophysiology. We also discuss how validation and use of microfluidics in SCD provides the opportunity to advance development of numerous therapeutic strategies, including curative gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Azul
- Department of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Eudorah F Vital
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Wilbur A Lam
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - David K Wood
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Joan D Beckman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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13
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Garcia‐Herreros A, Yeh Y, Peng Z, del Álamo JC. Cyclic Mechanical Stresses Alter Erythrocyte Membrane Composition and Microstructure and Trigger Macrophage Phagocytosis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2201481. [PMID: 35508805 PMCID: PMC9284186 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202201481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are cleared from the circulation when they become damaged or display aging signals targeted by macrophages. This process occurs mainly in the spleen, where blood flows through submicrometric constrictions called inter-endothelial slits (IES), subjecting RBCs to large-amplitude deformations. In this work, RBCs are circulated through microfluidic devices containing microchannels that replicate the IES. The cyclic mechanical stresses experienced by the cells affect their biophysical properties and molecular composition, accelerating cell aging. Specifically, RBCs quickly transition to a more spherical, less deformable phenotype that hinders microchannel passage, causing hemolysis. This transition is associated with the release of membrane vesicles, which self-extinguishes as the spacing between membrane-cytoskeleton linkers becomes tighter. Proteomics analysis of the mechanically aged RBCs reveals significant losses of essential proteins involved in antioxidant protection, gas transport, and cell metabolism. Finally, it is shown that these changes make mechanically aged RBCs more susceptible to macrophage phagocytosis. These results provide a comprehensive model explaining how physical stress induces RBC clearance in the spleen. The data also suggest new biomarkers of early "hemodamage" and inflammation preceding hemolysis in RBCs subjected to mechanical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Garcia‐Herreros
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
| | - Yi‐Ting Yeh
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
- Institute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
| | - Zhangli Peng
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of Illinois at Chicago1200 W Harrison StChicagoIL60607USA
| | - Juan C. del Álamo
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
- Institute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of California9500 Gilman Dr.La JollaCA92093USA
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Washington850 Republican StSeattleWA98109USA
- Center for Cardiovascular BiologyUniversity of Washington850 Republican StSeattleWA98109USA
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14
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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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15
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Trejo-Soto C, Lázaro GR, Pagonabarraga I, Hernández-Machado A. Microfluidics Approach to the Mechanical Properties of Red Blood Cell Membrane and Their Effect on Blood Rheology. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:217. [PMID: 35207138 PMCID: PMC8878405 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12020217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we describe the general features of red blood cell membranes and their effect on blood flow and blood rheology. We first present a basic description of membranes and move forward to red blood cell membranes' characteristics and modeling. We later review the specific properties of red blood cells, presenting recent numerical and experimental microfluidics studies that elucidate the effect of the elastic properties of the red blood cell membrane on blood flow and hemorheology. Finally, we describe specific hemorheological pathologies directly related to the mechanical properties of red blood cells and their effect on microcirculation, reviewing microfluidic applications for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Trejo-Soto
- Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso, Casilla 4059, Chile
| | - Guillermo R. Lázaro
- Departament de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.R.L.); (I.P.); (A.H.-M.)
| | - Ignacio Pagonabarraga
- Departament de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.R.L.); (I.P.); (A.H.-M.)
- CECAM, Centre Europeén de Calcul Atomique et Moleéculaire, École Polytechnique Feédeérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Batochime—Avenue Forel 2, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Universitat de Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurora Hernández-Machado
- Departament de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.R.L.); (I.P.); (A.H.-M.)
- Centre de Recerca Matemàtica, Edifici C, Campus de Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Zhu Q, Bi X. Dynamics of erythrocytes in oscillatory shear flows: effects of S/V ratio. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:964-974. [PMID: 35029271 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01430g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
By combining a multiscale structural model of erythrocyte with a fluid-cell interaction model based on the boundary-integral method, we numerically investigate the dynamic response of erythrocytes in oscillatory shear flows (OSFs). The goal is to develop a novel experimental method to test the structural robustness of erythrocytes in transient mechanical loads with small time scales, conditions closely imitating the mechanical environment in vivo. Following the discovery of multiple response modes (wheeling, mode 1 tank treading, and mode 2 tank treading) under these conditions (Zhu & Asaro, 2019), we concentrate on deformation and stress inside RBCs driven by OSF, especially shear deformation of the membrane and the skeleton-bilayer dissociation stress, parameters that are related to mechanically induced structural remodeling such as vesiculation. Effects related to changes in surface area-to-volume (S/V) ratio are considered. Our results show that with the variation of the S/V ratio there could be significant change in terms of the occurrence of response modes even if other parameters are kept unchanged. For example, by reducing the S/V ratio of the cell, an asymmetric mode featuring a mixture of the wheeling and mode 2 tank treading responses is discovered. This mode is found to be associated with large skeleton-bilayer dissociation stress so that its potential impact on OSF-driven vesiculation should not be overlooked. By systematically examining the dependencies of skeleton deformation and skeleton-bilayer dissociation stress upon S/V, this study is critical for the development of the OSF technique in applications such as diagnosis since cell conditions are often reflected in its geometric properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhu
- Dept. Struc. Engr., UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
| | - Xiaobo Bi
- Dept. Struc. Engr., UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
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17
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Lamoureux ES, Islamzada E, Wiens MVJ, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H. Assessing red blood cell deformability from microscopy images using deep learning. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 22:26-39. [PMID: 34874395 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01006a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) must be highly deformable to transit through the microvasculature to deliver oxygen to tissues. The loss of RBC deformability resulting from pathology, natural aging, or storage in blood bags can impede the proper function of these cells. A variety of methods have been developed to measure RBC deformability, but these methods require specialized equipment, long measurement time, and highly skilled personnel. To address this challenge, we investigated whether a machine learning approach could be used to predict donor RBC deformability based on morphological features from single cell microscope images. We used the microfluidic ratchet device to sort RBCs based on deformability. Sorted cells are then imaged and used to train a deep learning model to classify RBC based image features related to cell deformability. This model correctly predicted deformability of individual RBCs with 81 ± 11% accuracy averaged across ten donors. Using this model to score the deformability of RBC samples was accurate to within 10.4 ± 6.8% of the value obtained using the microfluidic ratchet device. While machine learning methods are frequently developed to automate human image analysis, our study is remarkable in showing that deep learning of single cell microscopy images could be used to assess RBC deformability, a property not normally measurable by imaging. Measuring RBC deformability by imaging is also desirable because it can be performed rapidly using a standard microscopy system, potentially enabling RBC deformability studies to be performed as part of routine clinical assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Emel Islamzada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Matthew V J Wiens
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - 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
| | - Simon P Duffy
- 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
- British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, 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
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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18
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Briole A, Podgorski T, Abou B. Molecular rotors as intracellular probes of red blood cell stiffness. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:4525-4537. [PMID: 33949619 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00321f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The deformability of red blood cells is an essential parameter that controls the rheology of blood as well as its circulation in the body. Characterizing the rigidity of the cells and their heterogeneity in a blood sample is thus a key point in the understanding of occlusive phenomena, particularly in the case of erythrocytic diseases in which healthy cells coexist with pathological cells. However, measuring intracellular rheology in small biological compartments requires the development of specific techniques. We propose a technique based on molecular rotors - viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probes - to evaluate the above key point. DASPI molecular rotor has been identified with spectral fluorescence properties decoupled from those of hemoglobin, the main component of the cytosol. After validation of the rotor as a viscosity probe in model fluids, we showed by confocal microscopy that, in addition to binding to the membrane, the rotor penetrates spontaneously and uniformly into red blood cells. Experiments on red blood cells whose rigidity is varied with temperature, show that molecular rotors can detect variations in their overall rigidity. A simple model allowed us to separate the contribution of the cytosol from that of the membrane, allowing a qualitative determination of the variation of cytosol viscosity with temperature, consistent with independent measurements of the viscosity of hemoglobin solutions. Our experiments show that the rotor can be used to study the intracellular rheology of red blood cells at the cellular level, as well as the heterogeneity of this stiffness in a blood sample. This opens up new possibilities for biomedical applications, diagnosis and disease monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Briole
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS - Université de Paris, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Thomas Podgorski
- Laboratoire Rhéologie et Procédés, UMR 5520 CNRS-UGA-G.INP - Domaine Universitaire, BP 53 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Bérengère Abou
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057 CNRS - Université de Paris, 75013 Paris, France.
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19
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Guo X, Sun M, Yang Y, Xu H, Liu J, He S, Wang Y, Xu L, Pang W, Duan X. Controllable Cell Deformation Using Acoustic Streaming for Membrane Permeability Modulation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002489. [PMID: 33552859 PMCID: PMC7856903 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Hydrodynamic force loading platforms for controllable cell mechanical deformation play an essential role in modern cell technologies. Current systems require assistance from specific microstructures thus limiting the controllability and flexibility in cell shape modulation, and studies on real-time 3D cell morphology analysis are still absent. This article presents a novel platform based on acoustic streaming generated from a gigahertz device for cell shape control and real-time cell deformation analysis. Details in cell deformation and the restoration process are thoroughly studied on the platform, and cell behavior control at the microscale is successfully achieved by tuning the treating time, intensity, and wave form of the streaming. The application of this platform in cell membrane permeability modulation and analysis is also exploited. Based on the membrane reorganization during cell deformation, the effects of deformation extent and deformation patterns on membrane permeability to micro- and macromolecules are revealed. This technology has shown its unique superiorities in cell mechanical manipulation such as high flexibility, high accuracy, and pure fluid force operation, indicating its promising prospect as a reliable tool for cell property study and drug therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Mengjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Huihui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Ji Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Shan He
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Linyan Xu
- College of Precision Instrument and Opto‐electronics EngineeringTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Wei Pang
- College of Precision Instrument and Opto‐electronics EngineeringTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Xuexin Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & InstrumentsTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
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20
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Production of erythrocyte microparticles in a sub-hemolytic environment. J Artif Organs 2021; 24:135-145. [PMID: 33420875 DOI: 10.1007/s10047-020-01231-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Microparticles are produced by various cells due to a number of different stimuli in the circulatory system. Shear stress has been shown to injure red blood cells resulting in hemolysis or non-reversible sub-hemolytic damage. We hypothesized that, in the sub-hemolytic shear range, there exist sufficient mechanical stimuli for red blood cells to respond with production of microparticles. Red blood cells isolated from blood of healthy volunteers were exposed to high shear stress in a microfluidic channel to mimic mechanical trauma similar to that occurring in ventricular assist devices. Utilizing flow cytometry techniques, both an increase of shear rate and exposure time showed higher concentrations of red blood cell microparticles. Controlled shear rate exposure shows that red blood cell microparticle concentration may be indicative of sub-hemolytic damage to red blood cells. In addition, properties of these red blood cell microparticles produced by shear suggest that mechanical trauma may underlie some complications for cardiovascular patients.
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21
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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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22
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Yu W, Lu QY, Sharma S, Ly C, Di Carlo D, Rowat AC, LeClaire M, Kim D, Chow C, Gimzewski JK, Rao J. Single Cell Mechanotype and Associated Molecular Changes in Urothelial Cell Transformation and Progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:601376. [PMID: 33330495 PMCID: PMC7711308 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.601376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell mechanotype changes are newly recognized cancer phenotypic events, whereas metastatic cancer cells show decreased cell stiffness and increased deformability relative to normal cells. To further examine how cell mechanotype changes in early stages of cancer transformation and progression, an in vitro multi-step human urothelial cell carcinogenic model was used to measure cellular Young's modulus, deformability, and transit time using single-cell atomic force microscopy, microfluidic-based deformability cytometry, and quantitative deformability cytometry, respectively. Measurable cell mechanotype changes of stiffness, deformability, and cell transit time occur early in the transformation process. As cells progress from normal, to preinvasive, to invasive cells, Young's modulus of stiffness decreases and deformability increases gradually. These changes were confirmed in three-dimensional cultured microtumor masses and urine exfoliated cells directly from patients. Using gene screening and proteomics approaches, we found that the main molecular pathway implicated in cell mechanotype changes appears to be epithelial to mesenchymal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Qing-Yi Lu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Chau Ly
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Amy C. Rowat
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael LeClaire
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Donghyuk Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christine Chow
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James K. Gimzewski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jianyu Rao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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23
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24
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Elias M, Dutoya A, Laborde A, Lecestre A, Montis C, Caselli L, Berti D, Lonetti B, Roux C, Joseph P. Microfluidic characterization of biomimetic membrane mechanics with an on-chip micropipette. MICRO AND NANO ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2020.100064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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25
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González I, Andrés RR, Pinto A, Carreras P. Influence of Hydrodynamics and Hematocrit on Ultrasound-Induced Blood Plasmapheresis. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E751. [PMID: 32751982 PMCID: PMC7463700 DOI: 10.3390/mi11080751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Acoustophoretic blood plasma separation is based on cell enrichment processes driven by acoustic radiation forces. The combined influence of hematocrit and hydrodynamics has not yet been quantified in the literature for these processes acoustically induced on blood. In this paper, we present an experimental study of blood samples exposed to ultrasonic standing waves at different hematocrit percentages and hydrodynamic conditions, in order to enlighten their individual influence on the acoustic response of the samples. The experiments were performed in a glass capillary (700 µm-square cross section) actuated by a piezoelectric ceramic at a frequency of 1.153 MHz, hosting 2D orthogonal half-wavelength resonances transverse to the channel length, with a single-pressure-node along its central axis. Different hematocrit percentages Hct = 2.25%, 4.50%, 9.00%, and 22.50%, were tested at eight flow rate conditions of Q = 0:80 µL/min. Cells were collected along the central axis driven by the acoustic radiation force, releasing plasma progressively free of cells. The study shows an optimal performance in a flow rate interval between 20 and 80 µL/min for low hematocrit percentages Hct ≤ 9.0%, which required very short times close to 10 s to achieve cell-free plasma in percentages over 90%. This study opens new lines for low-cost personalized blood diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itziar González
- Group of Ultrasonic Resonators RESULT, ITEFI, National Research Council of Spain CSIC 1, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (R.R.A.); (A.P.); (P.C.)
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26
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Mena SE, de Beer MP, McCormick J, Habibi N, Lahann J, Burns MA. Variable-height channels for microparticle characterization and display. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2510-2519. [PMID: 32530023 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00320d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing and isolating microparticles of different sizes is often desirable and essential for biological analysis. In this work, we present a new and straightforward technique to fabricate variable-height glass microchannels for size-based passive trapping of microparticles. The fabrication technique uses controlled non-uniform exposure to an etchant solution to create channels of arbitrary height that vary in a predetermined way from the inlet to the outlet. Channels that vary from 1 μm to over 20 μm in height along a length of approximately 6 cm are shown to effectively and reproducibly separate particles by size including particles whose diameters differ by less than 100 nm when the standard deviation in size is less than 0.66 μm. Additionally, healthy red blood cells and red blood cells chemically modified with glutaraldehyde to reduce their deformability were introduced into different channels. The healthy cells can flow into shallower heights, while the less deformable ones are trapped at deeper heights. The macroscopic visualization of microparticle separation in these devices in addition to their ease of use, simple fabrication, low cost, and small size suggest their viability in the final detection step of many bead-based assay protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Mena
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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27
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Asaro RJ, Zhu Q. Vital erythrocyte phenomena: what can theory, modeling, and simulation offer? Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2020; 19:1361-1388. [DOI: 10.1007/s10237-020-01302-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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28
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Yao Z, Kwan CC, Poon AW. An optofluidic "tweeze-and-drag" cell stretcher in a microfluidic channel. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:601-613. [PMID: 31909404 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc01026b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of biological cells are utilized as an inherent, label-free biomarker to indicate physiological and pathological changes of cells. Although various optical and microfluidic techniques have been developed for cell mechanical characterization, there is still a strong demand for non-contact and continuous methods. Here, by combining optical and microfluidic techniques in a single desktop platform, we demonstrate an optofluidic cell stretcher based on a "tweeze-and-drag" mechanism using a periodically chopped, tightly focused laser beam as an optical tweezer to trap a cell temporarily and a flow-induced drag force to stretch the cell in a microfluidic channel transverse to the tweezer. Our method leverages the advantages of non-contact optical forces and a microfluidic flow for both cell stretching and continuous cell delivery. We demonstrate the stretcher for mechanical characterization of rabbit red blood cells (RBCs), with a throughput of ∼1 cell per s at a flow rate of 2.5 μl h-1 at a continuous-wave laser power of ∼25 mW at a wavelength of 1064 nm (chopped at 2 Hz). We estimate the spring constant of RBCs to be ∼14.9 μN m-1. Using the stretcher, we distinguish healthy RBCs and RBCs treated with glutaraldehyde at concentrations of 5 × 10-4% to 2.5 × 10-3%, with a strain-to-concentration sensitivity of ∼-1529. By increasing the optical power to ∼45 mW, we demonstrate cell-stretching under a higher flow rate of 4 μl h-1, with a higher throughput of ∼1.5 cells per s and a higher sensitivity of ∼-2457. Our technique shows promise for applications in the fields of healthcare monitoring and biomechanical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshi Yao
- Photonic Device Laboratory, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ching Chi Kwan
- Photonic Device Laboratory, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Andrew W Poon
- Photonic Device Laboratory, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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29
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Rallabandi B, Nunes JK, Perazzo A, Gershtein S, Stone HA. Representative subsampling of sedimenting blood. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2019; 475:20190223. [PMID: 31423102 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2019.0223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is often necessary to extract a small amount of a suspension, such as blood, from a larger sample of the same material for the purposes of diagnostics, testing or imaging. A practical challenge is that the cells in blood sediment noticeably on the time scale of a few minutes, making a representative subsampling of the original sample challenging. Guided by experimental data, we develop a Kynch sedimentation model to discuss design considerations that ensure a representative subsampling of blood, from a container of constant cross-sectional area, for the entire range of physiologically relevant hematocrit over a specified time of interest. Additionally, we show that this design may be modified to exploit the sedimentation and perform subsampling to achieve either higher or lower hematocrit relative to that of the original sample. Thus, our method provides a simple tool to either concentrate or dilute small quantities of blood or other sedimenting suspensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhargav Rallabandi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Janine K Nunes
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Antonio Perazzo
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | | | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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30
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Diebel LN, Liberati DM. Red blood cell storage and adhesion to vascular endothelium under normal or stress conditions: An in vitro microfluidic study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2019; 86:943-951. [PMID: 31124891 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0000000000002239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies have identified an association between duration of red blood cell (RBC) storage and adverse outcomes in trauma. Hemorrhagic shock (HS) leads to impaired tissue perfusion which is associated with endothelial cell glycocalyx (eGC) shedding. Adhesion of stored RBC to the vascular endothelium has been shown to lead to impaired perfusion in the microcirculation and contribute to organ failure and poor outcome. The role of either or both of the EC and RBC glycocalyx in this process is unknown and was studied in an in vitro model. METHODS Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were perfused in a microfluidic device with RBC solutions from fresh, less than 14-day or longer than 21-day storage. In some experiments, the HS microenvironment was simulated by hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) and epinephrine (Epi) in the perfusion experiments. Measurements obtained included endothelial cell (EC) and RBC glycocalyx and RBC adherence to human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers at variable shear rates. RESULTS Endothelial cell glycocalyx and RBC glycocalyx dimensions were reduced by H/R and Epi and storage duration respectively. Red blood cell adherence to the endothelium was increased by H/R + Epi treatment and duration of RBC storage. CONCLUSION Our data may help explain some of the remaining discrepancies regarding the impact of RBC storage duration on outcomes in the trauma population. Consideration of the integrity of the EC and RBC glycocalyx may guide future transfusion strategies in the trauma population. The microfluidic device system platform may offer a high throughput modality to study emerging therapies to mitigate adverse consequence of RBC storage duration on the perfused endothelium in the trauma setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence N Diebel
- From the Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery (L.N.D., D.M.L.), Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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31
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Chang YN, Liang Y, Gu W, Wang J, Qin Y, Chen K, Li J, Bai X, Zhang J, Xing G. Microfluidic Analysis for Separating and Measuring the Deformability of Cancer Cell Subpopulations. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:8318-8323. [PMID: 31459919 PMCID: PMC6648663 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b02249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Increased deformability and softness endow tumor cells with highly invasive and metastatic capabilities. We exploited these characteristics to fabricate a high-throughput microfluidic device to measure cell deformability and separate cancer cells. Driven by hydrodynamic forces, the cells with better deformability passed through the chip faster, whereas stiffer cells passed through the device over a longer time period. The MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines were used to evaluate the device because their metastatic potentials were known. We found that MDA-MB-231 cells, which were softer and exhibited stronger deformability, passed through the device more quickly. HeLa cells were also successfully separated into softer and stiffer subpopulations, whose distinct mechanical properties were confirmed by atomic force microscopy. We also measured the expression of metastasis-associated proteins (epidermal growth factor receptor and integrin β 1) and found that subpopulations with varied deformabilities had different expression levels. Our results suggested that this high-throughput microfluidic device could be used to screen and evaluate the curative effects of drug and cancer progression by simultaneously testing cell deformability and expression levels of metastasis-associated proteins in separated cell subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Chang
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuelan Liang
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weihong Gu
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- School
of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiayi Wang
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- School
of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanxia Qin
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kui Chen
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Juan Li
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xue Bai
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- School
of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhang
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- School
of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gengmei Xing
- CAS
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterial & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy
of Science, Beijing 100049, China
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32
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Abay A, Simionato G, Chachanidze R, Bogdanova A, Hertz L, Bianchi P, van den Akker E, von Lindern M, Leonetti M, Minetti G, Wagner C, Kaestner L. Glutaraldehyde - A Subtle Tool in the Investigation of Healthy and Pathologic Red Blood Cells. Front Physiol 2019; 10:514. [PMID: 31139090 PMCID: PMC6527840 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutaraldehyde is a well-known substance used in biomedical research to fix cells. Since hemolytic anemias are often associated with red blood cell shape changes deviating from the biconcave disk shape, conservation of these shapes for imaging in general and 3D-imaging in particular, like confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy or scanning probe microscopy is a common desire. Along with the fixation comes an increase in the stiffness of the cells. In the context of red blood cells this increased rigidity is often used to mimic malaria infected red blood cells because they are also stiffer than healthy red blood cells. However, the use of glutaraldehyde is associated with numerous pitfalls: (i) while the increase in rigidity by an application of increasing concentrations of glutaraldehyde is an analog process, the fixation is a rather digital event (all or none); (ii) addition of glutaraldehyde massively changes osmolality in a concentration dependent manner and hence cell shapes can be distorted; (iii) glutaraldehyde batches differ in their properties especially in the ratio of monomers and polymers; (iv) handling pitfalls, like inducing shear artifacts of red blood cell shapes or cell density changes that needs to be considered, e.g., when working with cells in flow; (v) staining glutaraldehyde treated red blood cells need different approaches compared to living cells, for instance, because glutaraldehyde itself induces a strong fluorescence. Within this paper we provide documentation about the subtle use of glutaraldehyde on healthy and pathologic red blood cells and how to deal with or circumvent pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asena Abay
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Sanquin, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Greta Simionato
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Revaz Chachanidze
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LRP, Grenoble, France
| | - Anna Bogdanova
- Red Blood Cell Research Group, Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty and the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Hertz
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Paola Bianchi
- UOC Ematologia, UOS Fisiopatologia delle Anemie, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Marc Leonetti
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LRP, Grenoble, France
| | - Giampaolo Minetti
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Christian Wagner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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33
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Xing F, Xun S, Zhu Y, Hu F, Drevenšek-Olenik I, Zhang X, Pan L, Xu J. Microfluidic assemblies designed for assessment of drug effects on deformability of human erythrocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 512:303-309. [PMID: 30890334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Extreme deformability of human erythrocytes is a prerequisite for their ability to squeeze through narrow capillaries of the blood microcirculation system. Various drugs can modify this deformability and consequently provoke circulation problems. We demonstrate that microfluidic assemblies are very convenient platforms for in vitro study of the associated processes. Two types of microfluidic channels were designed to quantitatively investigate modifications of erythrocyte deformability induced by hydrogen peroxide, ethanol and pentoxifylline based on transit velocity measurements. With a high sensitivity our microfluidic assemblies show that hydrogen peroxide decreases erythrocyte deformability in a dose-dependent manner. Then, results on ethanol resolve a biphasic nature of this reactant on the deformability of single erythrocyte cells. Results on pentoxifylline provide evidence that, similar to ethanol, also this medical drug has a double-sided effect on the erythrocyte deformability, i.e. increasing the deformability at low concentrations, while decreasing it at higher ones. Taken together, our microfluidic designs propose a potent measurement method for the erythrocyte deformability, as well as providing a perspective to evaluate effects of drugs on it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulin Xing
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shuang Xun
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yanhan Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Fen Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Irena Drevenšek-Olenik
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana and J. Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, SI1000, Slovenia
| | - Xinzheng Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Leiting Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Jingjun Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics of Education Ministry, School of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, China
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34
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Ye T, Shi H, Phan-Thien N, Lim CT, Li Y. Numerical design of a microfluidic chip for probing mechanical properties of cells. J Biomech 2018; 84:103-112. [PMID: 30591204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic chips have been widely used to probe the mechanical properties of cells, which are recognized as a promising label-free biomarker for some diseases. In our previous work (Ye et al., 2018), we have studied the relationships between the transit time and the mechanical properties of a cell flowing through a microchannel with a single constriction, which potentially forms a basis for a microfluidic chip to measure cell's mechanical properties. Here, we investigate this microfluidic chip design and examine its potential in performances. We first develop the simultaneous dependence of the transit time on both the shear and bending moduli of a cell, and then examine the chip sensitivity with respect to the cell mechanical properties while serializing a single constriction along the flow direction. After that, we study the effect of the flow velocity on the transit time, and also test the chip's ability to identify heterogeneous cells with different mechanical properties. The results show that the microfluidic chip designed is capable of identifying heterogeneous cells, even when only one unhealthy cell is included. The serialization of chip can greatly increase the chip sensitivity with respect to the mechanical properties of cells. The flow with a higher velocity helps in not only promoting the chip throughput, but also in providing more accurate transit time measurements, because the cell prefers a symmetric deformation under a high velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Ye
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Jilin University, China.
| | - Huixin Shi
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Jilin University, China
| | - Nhan Phan-Thien
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Jilin University, China
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35
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Becton M, Averett RD, Wang X. Flow plate separation of cells based on elastic properties: a computational study. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2018; 18:425-433. [PMID: 30417230 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-018-1093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Medical studies have consistently shown that the best defense against cancer is early detection. Due to this, many efforts have been made to develop methods of screening patient blood quickly and cheaply. These methods range from separation via differences in size, electrostatic potential, chemical potential, antibody-binding affinity, among others. We propose a method of separating cells which have similar size and outer coatings, but which differ in their elastic properties. Such a method would be useful in detecting cancerous cells, which may have similar properties to leukocytes or erythrocytes but differ in their stiffness and deformation response. Here, we use coarse-grained model of a cell with membrane, cytoskeleton, and inner fluid to determine how small changes in the cell stiffness may be used to quickly and efficiently separate out irregular cells such as circulating tumor cells from a sample of blood. We focus specifically on the effects of volumetric flux and plate geometry on the ability of a separation plate to differentiate cells of similar but disparate stiffnesses. We show that volumetric flux is crucial in determining the stiffness cutoff for separating out cells of similar sizes, while the angle of the separation plate plays a less important role. With this work, we provide a comprehensive approach to the design factors of cell separation via elastic properties and hope to offer a guideline for the development of novel cytometry devices for the detection of irregular cells such as circulating tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Becton
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Rodney D Averett
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Xianqiao Wang
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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36
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Chang CC, Wang K, Zhang Y, Chen D, Fan B, Hsieh CH, Wang J, Wu MH, Chen J. Mechanical property characterization of hundreds of single nuclei based on microfluidic constriction channel. Cytometry A 2018; 93:822-828. [PMID: 30063818 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
As label-free biomarkers, the mechanical properties of nuclei are widely treated as promising biomechanical markers for cell type classification and cellular status evaluation. However, previously reported mechanical parameters were derived from only around 10 nuclei, lacking statistical significances due to low sample numbers. To address this issue, nuclei were first isolated from SW620 and A549 cells, respectively, using a chemical treatment method. This was followed by aspirating them through two types of microfluidic constriction channels for mechanical property characterization. In this study, hundreds of nuclei were characterized, producing passage times of 0.5 ± 1.2 s for SW620 nuclei in type I constriction channel (n = 153), 0.045 ± 0.047 s for SW620 nuclei in type II constriction channel (n = 215) and 0.50 ± 0.86 s for A549 nuclei in type II constriction channel. In addition, neural network based pattern recognition was used to classify the nuclei isolated from SW620 and A549 cells, producing successful classification rates of 87.2% for diameters of nuclei, 85.5% for passage times of nuclei and 89.3% for both passage times and diameters of nuclei. These results indicate that the characterization of the mechanical properties of nuclei may contribute to the classification of different tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chieh Chang
- Graduate Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Deyong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Beiyuan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chia-Hsun Hsieh
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Junbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Min-Hsien Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.,Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Jian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering/School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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37
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Guzniczak E, Jimenez M, Irwin M, Otto O, Willoughby N, Bridle H. Impact of poloxamer 188 (Pluronic F-68) additive on cell mechanical properties, quantification by real-time deformability cytometry. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:044118. [PMID: 30867863 PMCID: PMC6404947 DOI: 10.1063/1.5040316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Advances in cellular therapies have led to the development of new approaches for cell product purification and formulation, e.g., utilizing cell endogenous properties such as size and deformability as a basis for separation from potentially harmful undesirable by-products. However, commonly used additives such as Pluronic F-68 and other poloxamer macromolecules can change the mechanical properties of cells and consequently alter their processing. In this paper, we quantified the short-term effect of Pluronic F-68 on the mechanotype of three different cell types (Jurkat cells, red blood cells, and human embryonic kidney cells) using real-time deformability cytometry. The impact of the additive concentration was assessed in terms of cell size and deformability. We observed that cells respond progressively to the presence of Pluronic F-68 within first 3 h of incubation and become significantly stiffer (p-value < 0.001) in comparison to a serum-free control and a control containing serum. We also observed that the short-term response manifested as cell stiffening is true (p-value < 0.001) for the concentration reaching 1% (w/v) of the poloxamer additive in tested buffers. Additionally, using flow cytometry, we assessed that changes in cell deformability triggered by addition of Pluronic F-68 are not accompanied by size or viability alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Guzniczak
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Jimenez
- School of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Irwin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Otto
- ZIK HIKE, Centre for Innovation Competence - Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases, Biomechanics, University of Greifswald, Fleischmannstraße 42-44, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicholas Willoughby
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Bridle
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
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38
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Huisjes R, Bogdanova A, van Solinge WW, Schiffelers RM, Kaestner L, van Wijk R. Squeezing for Life - Properties of Red Blood Cell Deformability. Front Physiol 2018; 9:656. [PMID: 29910743 PMCID: PMC5992676 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Deformability is an essential feature of blood cells (RBCs) that enables them to travel through even the smallest capillaries of the human body. Deformability is a function of (i) structural elements of cytoskeletal proteins, (ii) processes controlling intracellular ion and water handling and (iii) membrane surface-to-volume ratio. All these factors may be altered in various forms of hereditary hemolytic anemia, such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, hereditary spherocytosis and hereditary xerocytosis. Although mutations are known as the primary causes of these congenital anemias, little is known about the resulting secondary processes that affect RBC deformability (such as secondary changes in RBC hydration, membrane protein phosphorylation, and RBC vesiculation). These secondary processes could, however, play an important role in the premature removal of the aberrant RBCs by the spleen. Altered RBC deformability could contribute to disease pathophysiology in various disorders of the RBC. Here we review the current knowledge on RBC deformability in different forms of hereditary hemolytic anemia and describe secondary mechanisms involved in RBC deformability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick Huisjes
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Haematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anna Bogdanova
- Red Blood Cell Research Group, Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty and the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Wouter W van Solinge
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Haematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Raymond M Schiffelers
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Haematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Richard van Wijk
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Haematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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39
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Lim H, Back SM, Nam J, Choi H. Determination of red blood cell deformability using centrifugal force in a three-dimensional-printed mini-disk (3D-PMD). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197619. [PMID: 29787582 PMCID: PMC5963765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring red blood cell (RBC) deformability has become important for clinical disease diagnostics. Various methods for measuring RBC deformability have been developed; however, they require costly and large instruments, long measuring time, and skilled personnel. In this study, we present a three-dimensional-printed mini-disk (3D-PMD) for measuring RBC deformability to overcome the previous limitations. For a miniaturized and low-cost setup, the 3D-PMD was fabricated by a 3D printing technique, which had not yet been used for fabricating a lab-on-a-compact disk (LOCD). Using a 3D printing technique, a multi-layered fluidic channel on the mini CD could be fabricated easily. During rotation by a spinning motor, the difference of the length of compressed RBCs in the fluidic channel was measured and analysed as compressibility indices (CIs) of normal and glutaraldehyde-treated hardened RBCs. The rotation speed and time were decided as 3000 rpm and 30 min, respectively, at which the difference of CI values between normal and hardened RBCs was largest (CInormal-CIhardened = 0.195).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjung Lim
- Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Min Back
- Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeonghun Nam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (JN); (HC)
| | - Hyuk Choi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (JN); (HC)
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40
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Matthews K, Duffy SP, Myrand-Lapierre ME, Ang RR, Li L, Scott MD, Ma H. Microfluidic analysis of red blood cell deformability as a means to assess hemin-induced oxidative stress resulting from Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic parasitism. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 9:519-528. [PMID: 28524208 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00039a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hemolytic anemia is one of the hallmarks of malaria and leads to an increase in oxidized heme (hemin) within the plasma of infected individuals. While scavenger proteins sequester much of the circulating heme, it has been hypothesized that extracellular heme may play a central role in malaria pathogenesis. We have previously developed the multiplex fluidic plunger (MFP) device for the measurement of red blood cell (RBC) deformability. Here, we demonstrate that the measurement of changes in RBC deformability is a sensitive method for inferring heme-induced oxidative stress. We further show that extracellular hemin concentration correlates closely with changes in RBC deformability and we confirm that this biophysical change correlates with other indicators of cell stress. Finally, we show that reduced erythrocyte deformability corresponds with both erythrophagocytosis and RBC osmotic fragility. The MFP microfluidic device presents a simple and potentially inexpensive alternative to existing methods for measuring hemolytic cell stress that could ultimately be used to perform clinical assessment of disease progression in severe malaria.
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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.
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41
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Parrow NL, Violet PC, Tu H, Nichols J, Pittman CA, Fitzhugh C, Fleming RE, Mohandas N, Tisdale JF, Levine M. Measuring Deformability and Red Cell Heterogeneity in Blood by Ektacytometry. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29364234 DOI: 10.3791/56910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased red cell deformability is characteristic of several disorders. In some cases, the extent of defective deformability can predict severity of disease or occurrence of serious complications. Ektacytometry uses laser diffraction viscometry to measure the deformability of red blood cells subject to either increasing shear stress or an osmotic gradient at a constant value of applied shear stress. However, direct deformability measurements are difficult to interpret when measuring heterogenous blood that is characterized by the presence of both rigid and deformable red cells. This is due to the inability of rigid cells to properly align in response to shear stress and results in a distorted diffraction pattern marked by an exaggerated decrease in apparent deformability. Measurement of the degree of distortion provides an indicator of the heterogeneity of the erythrocytes in blood. In sickle cell anemia, this is correlated with the percentage of rigid cells, which reflects the hemoglobin concentration and hemoglobin composition of the erythrocytes. In addition to measuring deformability, osmotic gradient ektacytometry provides information about the osmotic fragility and hydration status of erythrocytes. These parameters also reflect the hemoglobin composition of red blood cells from sickle cell patients. Ektacytometry measures deformability in populations of red cells and does not, therefore, provide information on the deformability or mechanical properties of individual erythrocytes. Regardless, the goal of the techniques described herein is to provide a convenient and reliable method for measuring the deformability and cellular heterogeneity of blood. These techniques may be useful for monitoring temporal changes, as well as disease progression and response to therapeutic intervention in several disorders. Sickle cell anemia is one well-characterized example. Other potential disorders where measurements of red cell deformability and/or heterogeneity are of interest include blood storage, diabetes, Plasmodium infection, iron deficiency, and the hemolytic anemias due to membrane defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nermi L Parrow
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine;
| | - Pierre-Christian Violet
- Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, Digestive Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| | - Hongbin Tu
- Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, Digestive Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| | - James Nichols
- Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| | - Corinne A Pittman
- Sickle Cell Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
| | - Courtney Fitzhugh
- Sickle Cell Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
| | - Robert E Fleming
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
| | | | - John F Tisdale
- Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| | - Mark Levine
- Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, Digestive Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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42
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Kang N, Guo Q, Islamzada E, Ma H, Scott MD. Microfluidic determination of lymphocyte vascular deformability: effects of intracellular complexity and early immune activation. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 10:207-217. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00191f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite the critical importance of mechanical (rheological + extrudability) deformability in the vascular flow of lymphocytes, it has been poorly investigated due to the limitations of existing technological tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Kang
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Quan Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Emel Islamzada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Hongshen Ma
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Mark D. Scott
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
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43
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Ciciliano JC, Abbaspour R, Woodall J, Wu C, Bakir MS, Lam WA. Probing blood cell mechanics of hematologic processes at the single micron level. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3804-3816. [PMID: 29052682 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00720e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Blood cells circulate in a dynamic fluidic environment, and during hematologic processes such as hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation, blood cells interact biophysically with a myriad of vascular matrices-blood clots and the subendothelial matrix. While it is known that adherent cells physiologically respond to the mechanical properties of their underlying matrices, how blood cells interact with their mechanical microenvironment of vascular matrices remains poorly understood. To that end, we developed microfluidic systems that achieve high fidelity, high resolution, single-micron PDMS features that mimic the physical geometries of vascular matrices. With these electron beam lithography (EBL)-based microsystems, the physical interactions of individual blood cells with the mechanical properties of the matrices can be directly visualized. We observe that the physical presence of the matrix, in and of itself, mediates hematologic processes of the three major blood cell types: platelets, erythrocytes, and leukocytes. First, we find that the physical presence of single micron micropillars creates a shear microgradient that is sufficient to cause rapid, localized platelet adhesion and aggregation that leads to complete microchannel occlusion; this response is enhanced with the presence of fibrinogen or collagen on the micropillar surface. Second, we begin to describe the heretofore unknown biophysical parameters for the formation of schistocytes, pathologic erythrocyte fragments associated with various thrombotic microangiopathies (poorly understood, yet life-threatening blood disorders associated with microvascular thrombosis). Finally, we observe that the physical interactions with a vascular matrix is sufficient to cause neutrophils to form procoagulant neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-like structures. By combining electron beam lithography (EBL), photolithography, and soft lithography, we thus create microfluidic devices that provide novel insight into the response of blood cells to the mechanical microenvironment of vascular matrices and have promise as research-enabling and diagnostic platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan C Ciciliano
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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44
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Amirouche A, Faivre M, Chateaux JF, Ferrigno R. Determination of Red Blood Cell fatigue using electrodeformation. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2017; 2017:3584-3587. [PMID: 29060673 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2017.8037632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we used electrodeformation (ED) [1] as a new strategy to evaluate the fatigue of healthy human Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Using dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces, we submitted RBCs to a series of elongation and relaxation cycles to model their mechanical stress in the blood circulation and we used their relaxation time as a marker to evaluate their fatigue. In this paper, we first investigated the dependency of the RBC mechanical response upon the experimental parameters, such as the viscosity ηout of the external medium, the amplitude ΔV of the applied voltage, the duration of the solicitation tsol, the number of solicitations N as well as the resting time trest between two solicitations. The impact of these parameters was evaluated through the analysis of both RBC deformation index D and relaxation time τ. Finally, the optimization of these parameters was used to monitor RBC fatigue.
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45
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Lykov K, Nematbakhsh Y, Shang M, Lim CT, Pivkin IV. Probing eukaryotic cell mechanics via mesoscopic simulations. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005726. [PMID: 28922399 PMCID: PMC5619828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell mechanics has proven to be important in many biological processes. Although there is a number of experimental techniques which allow us to study mechanical properties of cell, there is still a lack of understanding of the role each sub-cellular component plays during cell deformations. We present a new mesoscopic particle-based eukaryotic cell model which explicitly describes cell membrane, nucleus and cytoskeleton. We employ Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method that provides us with the unified framework for modeling of a cell and its interactions in the flow. Data from micropipette aspiration experiments were used to define model parameters. The model was validated using data from microfluidic experiments. The validated model was then applied to study the impact of the sub-cellular components on the cell viscoelastic response in micropipette aspiration and microfluidic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Lykov
- Institute of Computational Science, Faculty of Informatics, USI Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Yasaman Nematbakhsh
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Menglin Shang
- BioSystems and Micromechanics (BioSyM) IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Igor V. Pivkin
- Institute of Computational Science, Faculty of Informatics, USI Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
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46
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Stauber H, Waisman D, Korin N, Sznitman J. Red blood cell (RBC) suspensions in confined microflows: Pressure-flow relationship. Med Eng Phys 2017; 48:49-54. [PMID: 28838798 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic-based assays have become increasingly popular to explore microcirculation in vitro. In these experiments, blood is resuspended to a desired haematocrit level in a buffer solution, where frequent choices for preparing RBC suspensions comprise notably Dextran and physiological buffer. Yet, the rational for selecting one buffer versus another is often ill-defined and lacks detailed quantification, including ensuing changes in RBC flow characteristics. Here, we revisit RBC suspensions in microflows and attempt to quantify systematically some of the differences emanating between buffers. We measure bulk flow rate (Q) of RBC suspensions, using PBS- and Dextran-40, as a function of the applied pressure drop (ΔP) for two hematocrits (∼0% and 23%). Two distinct microfluidic designs of varying dimensions are employed: a straight channel larger than and a network array similar to the size of individual RBCs. Using the resulting pressure-flow curves, we extract the equivalent hydrodynamic resistances and estimate the relative viscosities. These efforts are a first step in rigorously quantifying the influence of the 'background' buffer on RBC flows within microfluidic devices and thereby underline the importance of purposefully selecting buffer suspensions for microfluidic in vitro assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagit Stauber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Dan Waisman
- Department of Neonatology, Carmel Medical Center, 3436212 Haifa, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Netanel Korin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Josué Sznitman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel.
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47
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Babahosseini H, Strobl JS, Agah M. Microfluidic Iterative Mechanical Characteristics (iMECH) Analyzer for Single-Cell Metastatic Identification. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2017; 9:847-855. [PMID: 29034007 PMCID: PMC5637398 DOI: 10.1039/c6ay03342c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the development of a microfluidic biosensor called the iterative mechanical characteristics (iMECH) analyzer which enables label-free biomechanical profiling of individual cells for distinction between metastatic and non-metastatic human mammary cell lines. Previous results have demonstrated that pulsed mechanical nanoindentation can modulate the biomechanics of cells resulting in distinctly different biomechanical responses in metastatic and non-metastatic cell lines. The iMECH analyzer aims to move this concept into a microfluidic, clinically more relevant platform. The iMECH analyzer directs a cyclic deformation regimen by pulling cells through a test channel comprised of narrow deformation channels and interspersed with wider relaxation regions which together simulate a dynamic microenvironment. The results of the iMECH analysis of human breast cell lines revealed that cyclic deformations produce a resistance in non-metastatic 184A1 and MCF10A cells as determined by a drop in their average velocity in the iterative deformation channels after each relaxation. In contrast, metastatic MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells exhibit a loss of resistance as measured by a velocity raise after each relaxation. These distinctive modulatory mechanical responses of normal-like non-metastatic and metastatic cancer breast cells to the pulsed indentations paradigm provide a unique bio-signature. The iMECH analyzer represents a diagnostic microchip advance for discriminating metastatic cancer at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hesam Babahosseini
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, US
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, US
| | - Jeannine S. Strobl
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, US
| | - Masoud Agah
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, US
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48
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Xu C, Yang X, Fu X, Tian R, Jacobson O, Wang Z, Lu N, Liu Y, Fan W, Zhang F, Niu G, Hu S, Ali IU, Chen X. Converting Red Blood Cells to Efficient Microreactors for Blood Detoxification. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29. [PMID: 27892639 PMCID: PMC5293620 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A simple method to convert red blood cells (RBCs) into efficient microreactors is reported. Triton X-100 is employed at finely tuned concentrations to render RBCs highly permeable to substrates, while low concentrations of glutaraldehyde are used to stabilize cells. The ability for blood detoxification of these microreactors is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Xu
- Department of PET Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xiangyu Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xiao Fu
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rui Tian
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Orit Jacobson
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Zhantong Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nan Lu
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yijing Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wenpei Fan
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Fuwu Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gang Niu
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of PET Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Iqbal Unnisa Ali
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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49
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Stauber H, Waisman D, Korin N, Sznitman J. Red blood cell dynamics in biomimetic microfluidic networks of pulmonary alveolar capillaries. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:014103. [PMID: 28090238 PMCID: PMC5234697 DOI: 10.1063/1.4973930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The pulmonary capillary networks (PCNs) embody organ-specific microvasculatures, where blood vessels form dense meshes that maximize the surface area available for gas exchange in the lungs. With characteristic capillary lengths and diameters similar to the size of red blood cells (RBCs), seminal descriptions coined the term "sheet flow" nearly half a century ago to differentiate PCNs from the usual notion of Poiseuille flow in long straight tubes. Here, we revisit in true-scale experiments the original "sheet flow" model and devise for the first time biomimetic microfluidic platforms of organ-specific PCN structures perfused with RBC suspensions at near-physiological hematocrit levels. By implementing RBC tracking velocimetry, our measurements reveal a wide range of heterogonous RBC pathways that coexist synchronously within the PCN; a phenomenon that persists across the broad range of pressure drops and capillary segment sizes investigated. Interestingly, in spite of the intrinsic complexity of the PCN structure and the heterogeneity in RBC dynamics observed at the microscale, the macroscale bulk flow rate versus pressure drop relationship retains its linearity, where the hydrodynamic resistance of the PCN is to a first order captured by the characteristic capillary segment size. To the best of our knowledge, our in vitro efforts constitute a first, yet significant, step in exploring systematically the transport dynamics of blood in morphologically inspired capillary networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagit Stauber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Dan Waisman
- Department of Neonatology, Carmel Medical Center, 3436212 Haifa, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Netanel Korin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Josué Sznitman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
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50
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Lee H, Kim G, Lim C, Lee B, Shin S. A simple method for activating the platelets used in microfluidic platelet aggregation tests: Stirring-induced platelet activation. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:064118. [PMID: 28058084 PMCID: PMC5176351 DOI: 10.1063/1.4972077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
High-shear stimulation is well known as one of the key factors affecting platelet activation and aggregation, which can lead to the formation of a thrombus. In one of our previous studies, we introduced migration distance-based platelet function analysis in a microfluidic system. In this study, we set out to examine the effects of stirring on shear-induced platelet activation and aggregation in a chamber system by using a rotating stirrer. We found that the rotating stirrer caused not only rotational shear flow but also a strong radial secondary flow. The latter flow led to efficient mixing in the chamber. Moreover, the rotational flow led to the generation of shear stress, the magnitude of which can be controlled to activate the platelets. Activated platelets tend to aggregate themselves. The maximum platelet aggregation was observed at a critical shear rate of 3100 s-1, regardless of the stirrer shape. Furthermore, the time taken to attain maximum aggregation was significantly shortened when using a wide stirrer (30 s) instead of a narrow one (180 s). When using a flat stirrer, the non-uniform shear field in the chamber system was resolved with the radial secondary flow-induced mixing; thus, most of the platelets were homogenously activated. The stirring-induced platelet activation mechanism was experimentally confirmed in a microfluidic system for a platelet aggregation test while monitoring the migration distance until the microfluidic channel is occluded. Our findings indicate that the present system, consisting of a rotating stirrer and a confined chamber, provides effective shear stimulation for activating platelets and inducing platelet aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoyoon Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University , Seoul 136-701, South Korea
| | - Gyehyu Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University , Seoul 136-701, South Korea
| | - Chaeseung Lim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital , Seoul 152-703, South Korea
| | - ByoungKwon Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital , Seoul 135-720, South Korea
| | - Sehyun Shin
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University , Seoul 136-701, South Korea
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