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Erythrocyte Membrane Failure by Electromechanical Stress
E Du1, Yuhao Qiang1, Jia Liu1
1Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
Applied Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 24, 2018
Summary
This study introduces dielectrophoresis to control cell deformation, revealing how electrical and mechanical stresses cause irreversible erythrocyte membrane failure and lysis.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Understanding biological cell membrane mechanics is crucial for various physiological and pathological processes.
- Electrical and mechanical stresses are known to impact cell integrity, but the precise mechanisms of membrane failure require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a novel technique for controlled deformation of biological cells using dielectrophoresis.
- To investigate the mechanistic details of membrane failure in human erythrocytes under combined electromechanical stresses.
- To characterize the different modes of membrane failure induced by these stresses.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing an interdigitated electrode array in microfluidics to apply amplitude-modified radio frequency electric fields.
- Performing transient creep and cyclic deformation experiments on individually tracked human erythrocytes.
- Analyzing cell deformation behavior, including viscoelastic-to-viscoplastic transitions and localized plastic deformations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated full control over cellular uniaxial deformation and tensile recovery in human erythrocytes.
- Observed a transition from viscoelastic to viscoplastic deformation behavior under electromechanical stress.
- Identified localized plastic deformations in erythrocyte membranes, indicating irreversible membrane failure.
- Categorized membrane failure modes, including mechanical stiffening, physical damage, morphological transformation (discocyte to echinocyte), and cell lysis.
Conclusions:
- Electromechanical stress induced by dielectrophoresis leads to irreversible membrane failure in human erythrocytes.
- The developed technique offers a powerful tool to study membrane mechanics and failure mechanisms.
- This approach has potential applications in exploring membrane failure in erythrocytes associated with various pathophysiological conditions.
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