1
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Triebold C, Barber J. The effect of the endothelial surface layer on cell-cell interactions in microvessel bifurcations. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024; 23:1695-1721. [PMID: 38847968 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-024-01863-1] [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: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) carry oxygen and make up 40-45% of blood by volume in large vessels down to 10% or less in smaller capillaries. Because of their finite size and large volume fraction, they are heterogeneously distributed throughout the body. This is partially because RBCs are distributed or partitioned nonuniformly at diverging vessel bifurcations where blood flows from one vessel into two. Despite its increased recognition as an important player in the microvasculature, few studies have explored how the endothelial surface layer (ESL; a vessel wall coating) may affect partitioning and RBC dynamics at diverging vessel bifurcations. Here, we use a mathematical and computational model to consider how altering ESL properties, as can occur in pathological scenarios, change RBC partitioning, deformation, and penetration of the ESL. The two-dimensional finite element model considers pairs of cells, represented by interconnected viscoelastic elements, passing through an ESL-lined diverging vessel bifurcation. The properties of the ESL include the hydraulic resistivity and an osmotic pressure difference modeling how easily fluid flows through the ESL and how easily the ESL is structurally compressed, respectively. We find that cell-cell interaction leads to more uniform partitioning and greatly enhances the effects of ESL properties, especially for deformation and penetration. This includes the trend that increased hydraulic resistivity leads to more uniform partitioning, increased deformation, and decreased penetration. It also includes the trend that decreased osmotic pressure increases penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlson Triebold
- Department of Mathematical, Information and Computer Sciences, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, USA.
| | - Jared Barber
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, USA
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2
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Lu Y, Hua Y, Wang B, Zhong F, Theophanous A, Tahir S, Lee PY, Sigal IA. Impact of elevated IOP on lamina cribrosa oxygenation; A combined experimental-computational study on monkeys. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.05.609208. [PMID: 39314421 PMCID: PMC11418968 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.05.609208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Purpose Our goal is to evaluate how lamina cribrosa (LC) oxygenation is affected by the tissue distortions resulting from elevated IOP. Design Experimental study on monkeys. Subjects Four healthy monkey eyes with OCT scans with IOP of 10 to 50 mmHg, and then with histological sections of LC. Methods Since in-vivo LC oxygenation measurement is not yet possible, we used 3D eye-specific numerical models of the LC vasculature which we subjected to experimentally-derived tissue deformations. We reconstructed 3D models of the LC vessel networks of 4 healthy monkey eyes from histological sections. We also obtained in-vivo IOP-induced tissue deformations from a healthy monkey using OCT images and digital volume correlation analysis techniques. The extent that LC vessels distort under a given OCT-derived tissue strain remains unknown. We biomechanics-based mapping techniques: cross-sectional and isotropic. The hemodynamics and oxygenations of the four vessel networks were simulated for deformations at several IOPs up to 60mmHg. The results were used to determine the effects of IOP on LC oxygen supply, assorting the extent of tissue mild and severe hypoxia. Main Outcome Measures IOP-induced deformation, vasculature structure, blood supply, and oxygen supply for LC region. Result IOP-induced deformations reduced LC oxygenation significantly. More than 20% of LC tissue suffered from mild hypoxia when IOP reached 30 mmHg. Extreme IOP(>50mmHg) led to large severe hypoxia regions (>30%) in the isotropic mapping cases. Conclusion Our models predicted that moderately elevated IOP can lead to mild hypoxia in a substantial part of the LC, which, if sustained chronically, may contribute to neural tissue damage. For extreme IOP elevations, severe hypoxia was predicted, which would potentially cause more immediate damage. Our findings suggest that despite the remarkable LC vascular robustness, IOP-induced distortions can potentially contribute to glaucomatous neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuankai Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Yi Hua
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Mississippi, Mississippi, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, Mississippi, United States
| | - Bingrui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Fuqiang Zhong
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Andrew Theophanous
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shaharoz Tahir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Po-Yi Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ian A Sigal
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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3
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Pellico J, Vass L, Carrascal-Miniño A, Man F, Kim J, Sunassee K, Parker D, Blower PJ, Marsden PK, T M de Rosales R. In vivo real-time positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) and single particle PET. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:668-676. [PMID: 38242986 PMCID: PMC11106003 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01589-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) enables 3D localization and tracking of single positron-emitting radiolabelled particles with high spatiotemporal resolution. The translation of PEPT to the biomedical imaging field has been limited due to the lack of methods to radiolabel biocompatible particles with sufficient specific activity and protocols to isolate a single particle in the sub-micrometre size range, below the threshold for capillary embolization. Here we report two key developments: the synthesis and 68Ga-radiolabelling of homogeneous silica particles of 950 nm diameter with unprecedented specific activities (2.1 ± 1.4 kBq per particle), and the isolation and manipulation of a single particle. We have combined these developments to perform in vivo PEPT and dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of a single radiolabelled sub-micrometre size particle using a pre-clinical positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanner. This work opens possibilities for quantitative assessment of haemodynamics in vivo in real time, at the whole-body level using minimal amounts of injected radioactive dose and material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pellico
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence Vass
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amaia Carrascal-Miniño
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Francis Man
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jana Kim
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kavitha Sunassee
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Parker
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul K Marsden
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rafael T M de Rosales
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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4
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Li X, Zou J, He Z, Sun Y, Song X, He W. The interaction between particles and vascular endothelium in blood flow. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 207:115216. [PMID: 38387770 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Particle-based drug delivery systems have shown promising application potential to treat human diseases; however, an incomplete understanding of their interactions with vascular endothelium in blood flow prevents their inclusion into mainstream clinical applications. The flow performance of nano/micro-sized particles in the blood are disturbed by many external/internal factors, including blood constituents, particle properties, and endothelium bioactivities, affecting the fate of particles in vivo and therapeutic effects for diseases. This review highlights how the blood constituents, hemodynamic environment and particle properties influence the interactions and particle activities in vivo. Moreover, we briefly summarized the structure and functions of endothelium and simulated devices for studying particle performance under blood flow conditions. Finally, based on particle-endothelium interactions, we propose future opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies and provide solutions to challenges in particle delivery systems for accelerating their clinical translation. This review helps provoke an increasing in-depth understanding of particle-endothelium interactions and inspires more strategies that may benefit the development of particle medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Li
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 2111198, PR China
| | - Jiahui Zou
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 2111198, PR China
| | - Zhongshan He
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Department of Biotherapy, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, PR China
| | - Yanhua Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microparticles Drug Delivery Technology, Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., LtD., Jinan 250000, PR China
| | - Xiangrong Song
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Department of Biotherapy, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, PR China.
| | - Wei He
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 2111198, PR China.
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5
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Ebrahimi S, Bagchi P. Predicting capillary vessel network hemodynamics in silico by machine learning. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae043. [PMID: 38725529 PMCID: PMC11079571 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Blood velocity and red blood cell (RBC) distribution profiles in a capillary vessel cross-section in the microcirculation are generally complex and do not follow Poiseuille's parabolic or uniform pattern. Existing imaging techniques used to map large microvascular networks in vivo do not allow a direct measurement of full 3D velocity and RBC concentration profiles, although such information is needed for accurate evaluation of the physiological variables, such as the wall shear stress (WSS) and near-wall cell-free layer (CFL), that play critical roles in blood flow regulation, disease progression, angiogenesis, and hemostasis. Theoretical network flow models, often used for hemodynamic predictions in experimentally acquired images of the microvascular network, cannot provide the full 3D profiles either. In contrast, such information can be readily obtained from high-fidelity computational models that treat blood as a suspension of deformable RBCs. These models, however, are computationally expensive and not feasible for extension to the microvascular network at large spatial scales up to an organ level. To overcome such limitations, here we present machine learning (ML) models that bypass such expensive computations but provide highly accurate and full 3D profiles of the blood velocity, RBC concentration, WSS, and CFL in every vessel in the microvascular network. The ML models, which are based on artificial neural networks and convolution-based U-net models, predict hemodynamic quantities that compare very well against the true data but reduce the prediction time by several orders. This study therefore paves the way for ML to make detailed and accurate hemodynamic predictions in spatially large microvascular networks at an organ-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Ebrahimi
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Prosenjit Bagchi
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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6
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Hu Y, Hu A, Song S. Photoplethysmography for Assessing Microcirculation in Hypertensive Patients After Taking Antihypertensive Drugs: A Review. J Multidiscip Healthc 2024; 17:263-274. [PMID: 38250310 PMCID: PMC10799628 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s441440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
High blood pressure (BP) is a common disease and is associated with many chronic diseases. Measuring BP is essential for the treatment and management of many diseases, and therefore there is a growing need for a non-invasive, sleeveless and continuous BP monitoring device. With the development of technology, pulse waveform analysis using photoplethysmography (PPG) has become more feasible for evaluating BP. This study aimed to evaluate the changes of vascular elasticity and blood volume over time by using the characteristic parameters extracted by PPG. We reviewed the latest progress and literature on the observation of capillary network characteristics in hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients by PPG, the influence of different drugs on microcirculation characteristics in hypertensive patients with PPG, and further explored the key relationship between microcirculation and hypertension. We found that the PPG waveform produced by the fingertips of hypertensive patients is very different from that of healthy people, and the PPG waveform changes significantly during diastolic period after antihypertensive treatment. With the rapid development of medical technology, people can get more intuitive microcirculation image data, which provides beneficial help for the comprehensive understanding of hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchun Hu
- Department of Orthopaedics, the Fifth People’s Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Anming Hu
- Taishan College, Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shenju Song
- Department of Nursing, the Fifth People’s Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, People’s Republic of China
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7
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Stathoulopoulos A, Passos A, Kaliviotis E, Balabani S. Partitioning of dense RBC suspensions in single microfluidic bifurcations: role of cell deformability and bifurcation angle. Sci Rep 2024; 14:535. [PMID: 38177195 PMCID: PMC10767057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49849-w] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are a key determinant of human physiology and their behaviour becomes extremely heterogeneous as they navigate in narrow, bifurcating vessels in the microvasculature, affecting local haemodynamics. This is due to partitioning in bifurcations which is dependent on the biomechanical properties of RBCs, especially deformability. We examine the effect of deformability on the haematocrit distributions of dense RBC suspensions flowing in a single, asymmetric Y-shaped bifurcation, experimentally. Human RBC suspensions (healthy and artificially hardened) at 20% haematocrit (Ht) were perfused through the microchannels at different flow ratios between the outlet branches, and negligible inertia, and imaged to infer cell distributions. Notable differences in the shape of the haematocrit distributions were observed between healthy and hardened RBCs near the bifurcation apex. These lead to more asymmetric distributions for healthy RBCs in the daughter and outlet branches with cells accumulating near the inner channel walls, exhibiting distinct hematocrit peaks which are sharper for healthy RBCs. Although the hematocrit distributions differed locally, similar partitioning characteristics were observed for both suspensions. Comparisons with RBC distributions measured in a T-shaped bifurcation showed that the bifurcation angle affects the haematocrit characteristics of the healthy RBCs and not the hardened ones. The extent of RBC partitioning was found similar in both geometries and suspensions. The study highlights the differences between local and global characteristics which impact RBC distribution in more complex, multi-bifurcation networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Stathoulopoulos
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Andreas Passos
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Efstathios Kaliviotis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Stavroula Balabani
- FluME, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 7JE, UK.
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
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8
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Remigante A, Spinelli S, Patanè GT, Barreca D, Straface E, Gambardella L, Bozzuto G, Caruso D, Falliti G, Dossena S, Marino A, Morabito R. AAPH-induced oxidative damage reduced anion exchanger 1 (SLC4A1/AE1) activity in human red blood cells: protective effect of an anthocyanin-rich extract. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1303815. [PMID: 38111898 PMCID: PMC10725977 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1303815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: During their lifespan in the bloodstream, red blood cells (RBCs) are exposed to multiple stressors, including increased oxidative stress, which can affect their morphology and function, thereby contributing to disease. Aim: This investigation aimed to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms related to oxidative stress underlying anion exchanger 1 activity (band 3, SLC4A1/AE1) in human RBCs. To achieve this aim, the relationship between RBC morphology and functional and metabolic activity has been explored. Moreover, the potential protective effect of an anthocyanin-enriched fraction extracted from Callistemon citrinus flowers was studied. Methods: Cellular morphology, parameters of oxidative stress, as well as the anion exchange capability of band 3 have been analyzed in RBCs treated for 1 h with 50 mM of the pro-oxidant 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionamide)-dihydrochloride (AAPH). Before or after the oxidative insult, subsets of cells were exposed to 0.01 μg/mL of an anthocyanin-enriched fraction for 1 h. Results: Exposure to AAPH caused oxidative stress, exhaustion of reduced glutathione, and over-activation of the endogenous antioxidant machinery, resulting in morphological alterations of RBCs, specifically the formation of acanthocytes, increased lipid peroxidation and oxidation of proteins, as well as abnormal distribution and hyper-phosphorylation of band 3. Expected, oxidative stress was also associated with a decreased band 3 ion transport activity and an increase of oxidized haemoglobin, which led to abnormal clustering of band 3. Exposure of cells to the anthocyanin-enriched fraction prior to, but not after, oxidative stress efficiently counteracted oxidative stress-related alterations. Importantly, protection of band3 function from oxidative stress could only be achieved in intact cells and not in RBC ghosts. Conclusion: These findings contribute a) to clarify oxidative stress-related physiological and biochemical alterations in human RBCs, b) propose anthocyanins as natural antioxidants to neutralize oxidative stress-related modifications, and 3) suggest that cell integrity, and therefore a cytosolic component, is required to reverse oxidative stress-related pathophysiological derangements in human mature RBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Remigante
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Sara Spinelli
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Tancredi Patanè
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Davide Barreca
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Straface
- Biomarkers Unit, Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Gambardella
- Biomarkers Unit, Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Bozzuto
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Caruso
- Complex Operational Unit of Clinical Pathology of Papardo Hospital, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Falliti
- Complex Operational Unit of Clinical Pathology of Papardo Hospital, Messina, Italy
| | - Silvia Dossena
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Angela Marino
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Rossana Morabito
- Department of Chemical Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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9
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Cheng X, Caruso C, Lam WA, Graham MD. Marginated aberrant red blood cells induce pathologic vascular stress fluctuations in a computational model of hematologic disorders. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj6423. [PMID: 38019922 PMCID: PMC10686556 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj6423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Red blood cell (RBC) disorders such as sickle cell disease affect billions worldwide. While much attention focuses on altered properties of aberrant RBCs and corresponding hemodynamic changes, RBC disorders are also associated with vascular dysfunction, whose origin remains unclear and which provoke severe consequences including stroke. Little research has explored whether biophysical alterations of RBCs affect vascular function. We use a detailed computational model of blood that enables characterization of cell distributions and vascular stresses in blood disorders and compare simulation results with experimental observations. Aberrant RBCs, with their smaller size and higher stiffness, concentrate near vessel walls (marginate) because of contrasts in physical properties relative to normal cells. In a curved channel exemplifying the geometric complexity of the microcirculation, these cells distribute heterogeneously, indicating the importance of geometry. Marginated cells generate large transient stress fluctuations on vessel walls, indicating a mechanism for the observed vascular inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopo Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Christina Caruso
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
| | - Wilbur A. Lam
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Michael D. Graham
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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10
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Rashidi Y, Aouane O, Darras A, John T, Harting J, Wagner C, Recktenwald SM. Cell-free layer development and spatial organization of healthy and rigid red blood cells in a microfluidic bifurcation. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:6255-6266. [PMID: 37522517 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00517h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Bifurcations and branches in the microcirculation dramatically affect blood flow as they determine the spatiotemporal organization of red blood cells (RBCs). Such changes in vessel geometries can further influence the formation of a cell-free layer (CFL) close to the vessel walls. Biophysical cell properties, such as their deformability, which is impaired in various diseases, are often thought to impact blood flow and affect the distribution of flowing RBCs. This study investigates the flow behavior of healthy and artificially hardened RBCs in a bifurcating microfluidic T-junction. We determine the RBC distribution across the channel width at multiple positions before and after the bifurcation. Thus, we reveal distinct focusing profiles in the feeding mother channel for rigid and healthy RBCs that dramatically impact the cell organization in the successive daughter channels. Moreover, we experimentally show how the characteristic asymmetric CFLs in the daughter vessels develop along their flow direction. Complimentary numerical simulations indicate that the buildup of the CFL is faster for healthy than for rigid RBCs. Our results provide fundamental knowledge to understand the partitioning of rigid RBC as a model of cells with pathologically impaired deformability in complex in vitro networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazdan Rashidi
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Othmane Aouane
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexis Darras
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Thomas John
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Jens Harting
- Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian Wagner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 1511 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Steffen M Recktenwald
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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11
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Vetro A, Pelorosso C, Balestrini S, Masi A, Hambleton S, Argilli E, Conti V, Giubbolini S, Barrick R, Bergant G, Writzl K, Bijlsma EK, Brunet T, Cacheiro P, Mei D, Devlin A, Hoffer MJV, Machol K, Mannaioni G, Sakamoto M, Menezes MP, Courtin T, Sherr E, Parra R, Richardson R, Roscioli T, Scala M, von Stülpnagel C, Smedley D, Torella A, Tohyama J, Koichihara R, Hamada K, Ogata K, Suzuki T, Sugie A, van der Smagt JJ, van Gassen K, Valence S, Vittery E, Malone S, Kato M, Matsumoto N, Ratto GM, Guerrini R. Stretch-activated ion channel TMEM63B associates with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies and progressive neurodegeneration. Am J Hum Genet 2023; 110:1356-1376. [PMID: 37421948 PMCID: PMC10432263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
By converting physical forces into electrical signals or triggering intracellular cascades, stretch-activated ion channels allow the cell to respond to osmotic and mechanical stress. Knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying associations of stretch-activated ion channels with human disease is limited. Here, we describe 17 unrelated individuals with severe early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), intellectual disability, and severe motor and cortical visual impairment associated with progressive neurodegenerative brain changes carrying ten distinct heterozygous variants of TMEM63B, encoding for a highly conserved stretch-activated ion channel. The variants occurred de novo in 16/17 individuals for whom parental DNA was available and either missense, including the recurrent p.Val44Met in 7/17 individuals, or in-frame, all affecting conserved residues located in transmembrane regions of the protein. In 12 individuals, hematological abnormalities co-occurred, such as macrocytosis and hemolysis, requiring blood transfusions in some. We modeled six variants (p.Val44Met, p.Arg433His, p.Thr481Asn, p.Gly580Ser, p.Arg660Thr, and p.Phe697Leu), each affecting a distinct transmembrane domain of the channel, in transfected Neuro2a cells and demonstrated inward leak cation currents across the mutated channel even in isotonic conditions, while the response to hypo-osmotic challenge was impaired, as were the Ca2+ transients generated under hypo-osmotic stimulation. Ectopic expression of the p.Val44Met and p.Gly580Cys variants in Drosophila resulted in early death. TMEM63B-associated DEE represents a recognizable clinicopathological entity in which altered cation conductivity results in a severe neurological phenotype with progressive brain damage and early-onset epilepsy associated with hematological abnormalities in most individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Vetro
- Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Simona Balestrini
- Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy; University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessio Masi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NeuroFarBa), Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sophie Hambleton
- Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Emanuela Argilli
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Human Genetics and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Valerio Conti
- Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giubbolini
- National Enterprise for NanoScience and NanoTechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rebekah Barrick
- Division of Metabolic Disorders, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange, CA, USA
| | - Gaber Bergant
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Karin Writzl
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Emilia K Bijlsma
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Theresa Brunet
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Dr. v. Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Pilar Cacheiro
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Davide Mei
- Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy
| | - Anita Devlin
- Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Mariëtte J V Hoffer
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Keren Machol
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guido Mannaioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NeuroFarBa), Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Masamune Sakamoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004 Japan
| | - Manoj P Menezes
- Department of Neurology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Courtin
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France; Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, DMU BioGeM, Paris, France
| | - Elliott Sherr
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Human Genetics and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Riccardo Parra
- National Enterprise for NanoScience and NanoTechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ruth Richardson
- Northern Genetics Service, Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Tony Roscioli
- New South Wales Health Pathology Randwick Genomics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Marcello Scala
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Celina von Stülpnagel
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Dr. v. Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University of Munich, München, Germany; Institute for Transition, Rehabilitation and Palliation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Damian Smedley
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Annalaura Torella
- Department of Precision Medicine, University "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy; Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Jun Tohyama
- Department of Child Neurology, Nishi-Niigata Chuo National Hospital, Niigata 950-2085, Japan
| | - Reiko Koichihara
- Department for Child Health and Human Development, Saitama Children's Medical Center, Saitama 330-8777, Japan
| | - Keisuke Hamada
- Department of Biochemistry, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ogata
- Department of Biochemistry, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sugie
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | | | - Koen van Gassen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stephanie Valence
- Centre de référence Maladies Rares "Déficience intellectuelle de cause rare," Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Département de Neuropédiatrie, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Emma Vittery
- Northern Genetics Service, Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Stephen Malone
- Department of Neurosciences, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane QLD, Australia; Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, Australia
| | - Mitsuhiro Kato
- Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan
| | - Naomichi Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004 Japan
| | - Gian Michele Ratto
- National Enterprise for NanoScience and NanoTechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Istituto Neuroscienze CNR, Padova, Italy
| | - Renzo Guerrini
- Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy; University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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12
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Hyakutake T, Tsutsumi Y, Miyoshi Y, Yasui M, Mizuno T, Tateno M. Red Blood Cell Partitioning Using a Microfluidic Channel with Ladder Structure. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1421. [PMID: 37512732 PMCID: PMC10385109 DOI: 10.3390/mi14071421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the partitioning characteristics of red blood cells (RBCs) within capillaries, with a specific focus on ladder structures observed near the end of the capillaries. In vitro experiments were conducted using microfluidic channels with a ladder structure model comprising six bifurcating channels that exhibited an anti-parallel flow configuration. The effects of various factors, such as the parent channel width, distance between branches, and hematocrit, on RBC partitioning in bifurcating channels were evaluated. A decrease in the parent channel width resulted in an increase in the heterogeneity in the hematocrit distribution and a bias in the fractional RBC flux. Additionally, variations in the distance between branches affected the RBC distribution, with smaller distances resulting in greater heterogeneity. The bias of the RBC distribution in the microchannel cross section had a major effect on the RBC partitioning characteristics. The influence of hematocrit variations on the RBC distribution was also investigated, with lower hematocrit values leading to a more pronounced bias in the RBC distribution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into RBC distribution characteristics in capillary networks, contributing to our understanding of the physiological mechanisms of RBC phase separation in the microcirculatory system. These findings have implications for predicting oxygen heterogeneity in tissues and could aid in the study of diseases associated with impaired microcirculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Hyakutake
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Yuya Tsutsumi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Yohei Miyoshi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Manabu Yasui
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 705-1 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina 243-0435, Japan
| | - Tomoki Mizuno
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Mizuki Tateno
- College of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
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13
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Rashidi Y, Simionato G, Zhou Q, John T, Kihm A, Bendaoud M, Krüger T, Bernabeu MO, Kaestner L, Laschke MW, Menger MD, Wagner C, Darras A. Red blood cell lingering modulates hematocrit distribution in the microcirculation. Biophys J 2023; 122:1526-1537. [PMID: 36932676 PMCID: PMC10147840 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The distribution of red blood cells (RBCs) in the microcirculation determines the oxygen delivery and solute transport to tissues. This process relies on the partitioning of RBCs at successive bifurcations throughout the microvascular network, and it has been known since the last century that RBCs partition disproportionately to the fractional blood flow rate, therefore leading to heterogeneity of the hematocrit (i.e., volume fraction of RBCs in blood) in microvessels. Usually, downstream of a microvascular bifurcation, the vessel branch with a higher fraction of blood flow receives an even higher fraction of RBC flux. However, both temporal and time-average deviations from this phase-separation law have been observed in recent studies. Here, we quantify how the microscopic behavior of RBC lingering (i.e., RBCs temporarily residing near the bifurcation apex with diminished velocity) influences their partitioning, through combined in vivo experiments and in silico simulations. We developed an approach to quantify the cell lingering at highly confined capillary-level bifurcations and demonstrate that it correlates with deviations of the phase-separation process from established empirical predictions by Pries et al. Furthermore, we shed light on how the bifurcation geometry and cell membrane rigidity can affect the lingering behavior of RBCs; e.g., rigid cells tend to linger less than softer ones. Taken together, RBC lingering is an important mechanism that should be considered when studying how abnormal RBC rigidity in diseases such as malaria and sickle-cell disease could hinder the microcirculatory blood flow or how the vascular networks are altered under pathological conditions (e.g., thrombosis, tumors, aneurysm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazdan Rashidi
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany.
| | - Greta Simionato
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany; Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Qi Zhou
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas John
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Alexander Kihm
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Mohammed Bendaoud
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany; Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, Grenoble, France; LaMCScI, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Timm Krüger
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel O Bernabeu
- Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; The Bayes Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany; Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Matthias W Laschke
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Michael D Menger
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Christian Wagner
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany; Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Alexis Darras
- Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany.
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14
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Zhou Q, Schirrmann K, Doman E, Chen Q, Singh N, Selvaganapathy PR, Bernabeu MO, Jensen OE, Juel A, Chernyavsky IL, Krüger T. Red blood cell dynamics in extravascular biological tissues modelled as canonical disordered porous media. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20220037. [PMID: 36325194 PMCID: PMC9560785 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of blood flow in the smallest vessels and passages of the human body, where the cellular character of blood becomes prominent, plays a dominant role in the transport and exchange of solutes. Recent studies have revealed that the microhaemodynamics of a vascular network is underpinned by its interconnected structure, and certain structural alterations such as capillary dilation and blockage can substantially change blood flow patterns. However, for extravascular media with disordered microstructure (e.g. the porous intervillous space in the placenta), it remains unclear how the medium's structure affects the haemodynamics. Here, we simulate cellular blood flow in simple models of canonical porous media representative of extravascular biological tissue, with corroborative microfluidic experiments performed for validation purposes. For the media considered here, we observe three main effects: first, the relative apparent viscosity of blood increases with the structural disorder of the medium; second, the presence of red blood cells (RBCs) dynamically alters the flow distribution in the medium; third, symmetry breaking introduced by moderate structural disorder can promote more homogeneous distribution of RBCs. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the cell-scale haemodynamics that mediates the relationship linking the function of certain biological tissues to their microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kerstin Schirrmann
- Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eleanor Doman
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Qi Chen
- Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Naval Singh
- Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - P. Ravi Selvaganapathy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Miguel O. Bernabeu
- Centre for Medical Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- The Bayes Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Oliver E. Jensen
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Anne Juel
- Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Igor L. Chernyavsky
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timm Krüger
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, Edinburgh, UK
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15
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Gracka M, Lima R, Miranda JM, Student S, Melka B, Ostrowski Z. Red blood cells tracking and cell-free layer formation in a microchannel with hyperbolic contraction: A CFD model validation. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 226:107117. [PMID: 36122496 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.107117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In recent years, progress in microfabrication technologies has attracted the attention of researchers across disciplines. Microfluidic devices have the potential to be developed into powerful tools that can elucidate the biophysical behavior of blood flow in microvessels. Such devices can also be used to separate the suspended physiological fluid from whole in vitro blood, which includes cells. Therefore, it is essential to acquire a detailed description of the complex interaction between erythrocytes (red blood cells; RBCs) and plasma. RBCs tend to undergo axial migration caused by occurrence of the Fåhræus-Lindqvist effect. These dynamics result in a cell-free layer (CFL), or a low volume fraction of cells, near the vessel wall. The aim of the paper is to develop a numerical model capable of reproducing the behavior of multiphase flow in a microchannel obtained under laboratory conditions and to compare two multiphase modelling techniques Euler-Euler and Euler-Lagrange. METHODS In this work, we employed a numerical Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the blood flow within microchannels with two hyperbolic contraction shapes. The simulation was used to reproduce the blood flow behavior in a microchannel under laboratory conditions, where the CFL formation is visible downstream of the hyperbolic contraction. The multiphase numerical model was developed using Euler-Euler and hybrid Euler-Lagrange approaches. The hybrid CFD simulation of the RBC transport model was performed using a Discrete Phase Model. Blood was assumed to be a nonhomogeneous mixture of two components: dextran, whose properties are consistent with plasma, and RBCs, at a hematocrit of 5% (percent by volume of RBCs). RESULTS The results show a 5 μm thick CFL in a microchannel with a broader contraction and a 35 μm thick CFL in a microchannel with a narrower contraction. The RBC volume fraction in the CFL is less than 2%, compared to 7-8% in the core flow. The results are consistent for both multiphase simulation techniques used. The simulation results were then validated against the experimentally-measured CFL in each of the studied microchannel geometries. CONCLUSIONS Reasonable agreement between experiments and simulations was achieved. A validated model such as the one tested in this study can expedite the microchannel design process by minimizing the need to prefabricate prototypes and test them under laboratory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gracka
- Department of Thermal Technology, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland.
| | - Rui Lima
- MEtRiCS, DME, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - João M Miranda
- CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Sebastian Student
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland; Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Melka
- Department of Thermal Technology, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Ziemowit Ostrowski
- Department of Thermal Technology, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
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16
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Javadi E, Li H, Gallastegi AD, Frydman GH, Jamali S, Karniadakis GE. Circulating cell clusters aggravate the hemorheological abnormalities in COVID-19. Biophys J 2022; 121:3309-3319. [PMID: 36028998 PMCID: PMC9420024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Microthrombi and circulating cell clusters are common microscopic findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at different stages in the disease course, implying that they may function as the primary drivers in disease progression. Inspired by a recent flow imaging cytometry study of the blood samples from patients with COVID-19, we perform computational simulations to investigate the dynamics of different types of circulating cell clusters, namely white blood cell (WBC) clusters, platelet clusters, and red blood cell clusters, over a range of shear flows and quantify their impact on the viscosity of the blood. Our simulation results indicate that the increased level of fibrinogen in patients with COVID-19 can promote the formation of red blood cell clusters at relatively low shear rates, thereby elevating the blood viscosity, a mechanism that also leads to an increase in viscosity in other blood diseases, such as sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We further discover that the presence of WBC clusters could also aggravate the abnormalities of local blood rheology. In particular, the extent of elevation of the local blood viscosity is enlarged as the size of the WBC clusters grows. On the other hand, the impact of platelet clusters on the local rheology is found to be negligible, which is likely due to the smaller size of the platelets. The difference in the impact of WBC and platelet clusters on local hemorheology provides a compelling explanation for the clinical finding that the number of WBC clusters is significantly correlated with thrombotic events in COVID-19 whereas platelet clusters are not. Overall, our study demonstrates that our computational models based on dissipative particle dynamics can serve as a powerful tool to conduct quantitative investigation of the mechanism causing the pathological alterations of hemorheology and explore their connections to the clinical manifestations in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Javadi
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - He Li
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
| | - Ander Dorken Gallastegi
- Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Galit H Frydman
- Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Biological Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Safa Jamali
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - George Em Karniadakis
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; Division of Applied Mathematics and School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
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17
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Modeling a 3-D multiscale blood-flow and heat-transfer framework for realistic vascular systems. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14610. [PMID: 36028657 PMCID: PMC9418225 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18831-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Modeling of biological domains and simulation of biophysical processes occurring in them can help inform medical procedures. However, when considering complex domains such as large regions of the human body, the complexities of blood vessel branching and variation of blood vessel dimensions present a major modeling challenge. Here, we present a Voxelized Multi-Physics Simulation (VoM-PhyS) framework to simulate coupled heat transfer and fluid flow using a multi-scale voxel mesh on a biological domain obtained. In this framework, flow in larger blood vessels is modeled using the Hagen–Poiseuille equation for a one-dimensional flow coupled with a three-dimensional two-compartment porous media model for capillary circulation in tissue. The Dirac distribution function is used as Sphere of Influence (SoI) parameter to couple the one-dimensional and three-dimensional flow. This blood flow system is coupled with a heat transfer solver to provide a complete thermo-physiological simulation. The framework is demonstrated on a frog tongue and further analysis is conducted to study the effect of convective heat exchange between blood vessels and tissue, and the effect of SoI on simulation results.
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18
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Ebrahimi S, Bagchi P. Application of machine learning in predicting blood flow and red cell distribution in capillary vessel networks. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220306. [PMID: 35946164 PMCID: PMC9363992 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0306] [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: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Capillary blood vessels in the body partake in the exchange of gas and nutrients with tissues. They are interconnected via multiple vascular junctions forming the microvascular network. Distributions of blood flow and red cells (RBCs) in such networks are spatially uneven and vary in time. Since they dictate the pathophysiology of tissues, their knowledge is important. Theoretical models used to obtain flow and RBC distribution in large networks have limitations as they treat each vessel as a one-dimensional segment and do not explicitly consider cell-cell and cell-vessel interactions. High-fidelity computational models that accurately model each individual RBC are computationally too expensive to predict haemodynamics in large vascular networks and over a long time. Here we investigate the applicability of machine learning (ML) techniques to predict blood flow and RBC distributions in physiologically realistic vascular networks. We acquire data from high-fidelity simulations of deformable RBC suspension flowing in the networks. With the flow and haematocrit specified at an inlet of vasculature, the ML models predict the time-averaged flow rate and RBC distributions in the entire network, time-dependent flow rate and haematocrit in each vessel and vascular bifurcation in isolation over a long time, and finally, simultaneous spatially and temporally evolving quantities through the vessel hierarchy in the networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Ebrahimi
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Prosenjit Bagchi
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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19
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Alexy T, Detterich J, Connes P, Toth K, Nader E, Kenyeres P, Arriola-Montenegro J, Ulker P, Simmonds MJ. Physical Properties of Blood and their Relationship to Clinical Conditions. Front Physiol 2022; 13:906768. [PMID: 35874542 PMCID: PMC9298661 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.906768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been long known that blood health heavily influences optimal physiological function. Abnormalities affecting the physical properties of blood have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various disorders, although the exact mechanistic links between hemorheology and clinical disease manifestations remain poorly understood. Often overlooked in current medical practice, perhaps due to the promises offered in the molecular and genetic era, the physical properties of blood which remain a valuable and definitive indicator of circulatory health and disease. Bridging this gap, the current manuscript provides an introduction to hemorheology. It reviews the properties that dictate bulk and microcirculatory flow by systematically dissecting the biomechanics that determine the non-Newtonian behavior of blood. Specifically, the impact of hematocrit, the mechanical properties and tendency of red blood cells to aggregate, and various plasma factors on blood viscosity will be examined. Subsequently, the manner in which the physical properties of blood influence hemodynamics in health and disease is discussed. Special attention is given to disorders such as sickle cell disease, emphasizing the clinical impact of severely abnormal blood rheology. This review expands into concepts that are highly topical; the relation between mechanical stress and intracellular homeostasis is examined through a contemporary cell-signaling lens. Indeed, accumulating evidence demonstrates that nitric oxide is not only transported by erythrocytes, but is locally produced by mechanically-sensitive enzymes, which appears to have intracellular and potentially extracellular effects. Finally, given the importance of shear forces in the developing field of mechanical circulatory support, we review the role of blood rheology in temporary and durable mechanical circulatory support devices, an increasingly utilized method of life support. This review thus provides a comprehensive overview for interested trainees, scientists, and clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Alexy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Jon Detterich
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Philippe Connes
- Laboratory LIBM EA7424, Vascular Biology and Red Blood Cell Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Kalman Toth
- First Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Elie Nader
- Laboratory LIBM EA7424, Vascular Biology and Red Blood Cell Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Peter Kenyeres
- First Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Jose Arriola-Montenegro
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Pinar Ulker
- Department of Physiology, Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Michael J Simmonds
- Biorheology Research Laboratory, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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