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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Simultaneous Measurements of Intracellular Calcium and Membrane Potential in Freshly Isolated and Intact Mouse Cerebral Endothelium

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Changes induced by hyperosmotic mannitol in cerebral endothelial cells: an atomic force microscopic study.

Zoltán Bálint¹, István A Krizbai, Imola Wilhelm

¹Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvari krt 62, Szeged 6726, Hungary.

European Biophysics Journal : EBJ

|November 23, 2006

Summary

Hyperosmotic mannitol significantly alters cerebral endothelial cell structure, reducing cell height and elasticity. This study reveals mannitol

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Neuroscience

Background:

Understanding cellular responses to extracellular stimuli like hyperosmotic stress is crucial.
Mannitol, a cell-impermeable alcohol, is used to reversibly open the blood-brain barrier.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the effects of hyperosmotic mannitol on the shape and surface structure of living cerebral endothelial cells.
To investigate changes in cell elasticity induced by mannitol.

Main Methods:

Atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging technique was employed.
Cell height, surface structure, and elasticity (Young's modulus) were measured before and after mannitol treatment.

Main Results:

Clinically relevant mannitol concentrations reduced cell height by approximately 40%.
Surface protrusions of about 100 nm appeared on treated cells.
Cell elasticity significantly decreased, with Young's modulus dropping from 8.04 kPa to 0.93 kPa.

Conclusions:

Hyperosmotic mannitol induces substantial structural changes within cerebral endothelial cells.
The observed decrease in elasticity suggests significant alterations in the cell's internal structure.
Mannitol's effects on cell morphology and mechanics are important for its application, e.g., in blood-brain barrier opening.