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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Micro-Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy
11:10

Micro-Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Published on: August 28, 2011

Atomic force microscope elastography reveals phenotypic differences in alveolar cell stiffness.

Evren U Azeloglu1, Jahar Bhattacharya, Kevin D Costa

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, and Department of Medicine and Physiology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 1210 Amsterdam Ave., 351-H Engineering Terrace, MC8904, New York, NY 10027, USA.

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|June 7, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Lung cell mechanics, including alveolar type I (AT1) and alveolar type II (AT2) cells, were measured using atomic force microscopy. Stiffer cytoplasm in AT2 cells correlates with lamellar bodies, impacting surfactant secretion.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary mechanics
  • Cellular biophysics
  • Respiratory physiology

Background:

  • Understanding alveolar mechanics is crucial for deciphering biochemical events like surfactant secretion.
  • Characterizing the mechanical properties of lung parenchyma and its cellular components is a prerequisite for this understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical properties of primary alveolar type I (AT1) and type II (AT2) epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts from neonatal rats.
  • To correlate cellular mechanical properties with their structural components and biochemical functions, particularly surfactant release.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of primary AT1, AT2 epithelial cells, and lung fibroblasts via enzymatic digestion.
  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation to map depth-dependent elastic modulus.

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Micro-Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy
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Published on: August 28, 2011

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08:41

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Published on: June 27, 2013

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Published on: December 2, 2022

  • Live-cell fluorescence imaging to visualize cytoskeletal organization (actin, microtubules) and lamellar bodies.

    • Main Results:

    • Non-Gaussian, skewed, and multimodal distributions of apparent elastic modulus were observed in all cell types.
    • Nuclear stiffness was similar across AT1, AT2, and fibroblast cells.
    • Cytoplasmic moduli were significantly higher in fibroblasts and AT2 cells compared to AT1 cells.
    • AT2 cells exhibited stiffer measurements that colocalized with lamellar bodies, suggesting a link between mechanics and surfactant storage.

    Conclusions:

    • Cellular mechanical properties, particularly cytoplasmic stiffness in AT2 cells, are heterogeneous and linked to intracellular structures like lamellar bodies.
    • These findings contribute to explaining variations in alveolar cell deformation during lung inflation.
    • Provides essential data for understanding how mechanical forces influence surfactant secretion in the lungs.