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Ex vivo mechanical and microstructural evaluation of a changing hepatic microstructure
Alexander Chan Kai Foong1, Claire Dempsey1, Brooke Tornifoglio1
1Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Liver tissue mechanics are affected by preservation methods and enzymatic treatments, particularly in compression. Understanding these microstructural changes is key for developing better liver disease diagnostic tools.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Tissue Mechanics
- Liver Disease Research
Background:
- Non-invasive liver imaging shows promise for disease diagnosis and monitoring.
- The impact of microstructural features on liver mechanical biomarkers requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how microstructural changes in liver tissue influence its mechanical properties.
- To understand the effects of preservation and enzymatic treatments on liver mechanics.
Main Methods:
- Mechanical testing and histological processing were used on porcine liver tissue.
- Evaluated the impact of storage, preservation, and enzymatic treatments (collagenase) on liver microstructure and mechanics.
Main Results:
- Preservation methods significantly affected the compressive, but not tensile, material properties of ex vivo liver tissue.
- Enzymatic treatments with collagenase altered liver microstructure and mechanics, with more pronounced effects in compression.
Conclusions:
- Preservation methods and microstructural alterations significantly impact liver tissue mechanics, especially in compression.
- Foundational insights for developing ex vivo liver models to study microstructural changes and their effect on mechanics.
- This research can improve the understanding of clinically derived liver biomarkers.
