Platelet Adhesion and Thrombus Formation in Microchannels: The Effect of Assay-Dependent Variables

Microfluidic flow chambers (MFCs) allow the study of platelet adhesion and thrombus formation under flow, which may be influenced by several variables. We developed a new MFC, with which we tested the effects of different variables on the results of platelet deposition and thrombus formation on a collagen-coated surface.

Whole blood was perfused in the MFC over collagen Type I for 4 min at different wall shear rates (WSR) and different concentrations of collagen-coating solutions, keeping blood samples at room temperature or 37 °C before starting the experiments. In addition, we tested the effects of the antiplatelet agent acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) (antagonist of cyclooxygenase-1, 100 µM) and cangrelor (antagonist of P2Y₁₂, 1 µM).

Platelet deposition on collagen (I) was not affected by the storage temperature of the blood before perfusion (room temperature vs. 37 °C); (II) was dependent on a shear rate in the range between 300/s and 1700/s; and (III) was influenced by the collagen concentration used to coat the microchannels up to a value of 10 µg/mL. ASA and cangrelor did not cause statistically significant inhibition of platelet accumulation, except for ASA at low collagen concentrations.

Platelet deposition on collagen-coated surfaces is a shear-dependent process, not influenced by the collagen concentration beyond a value of 10 µg/mL. However, the inhibitory effect of antiplatelet drugs is better observed using low concentrations of collagen.