Human red blood cell deformed under thermal fluid flow

Abstract

The flow-induced mechanical deformation of a human red blood cell (RBC) during thermal transition between room temperature and 42.0 degrees C is interrogated by laser tweezer experiments. Based on the experimental geometry of the deformed RBC, the surface stresses are determined with the aid of computational fluid dynamics simulation. It is found that the RBC is more deformable while heating through 37.0 degrees C to 42.0 degrees C, especially at a higher flow velocity due to a thermal-fluid effect. More importantly, the degree of RBC deformation is irreversible and becomes softer, and finally reaches a plateau (at a uniform flow velocity U > 60 microm s(-1)) after the heat treatment, which is similar to a strain-hardening dominated process. In addition, computational simulated stress is found to be dependent on the progression of thermotropic phase transition. Overall, the current study provides new insights into the highly coupled temperature and hydrodynamic effects on the biomechanical properties of human erythrocyte in a model hydrodynamic flow system.

Red blood cell-deformability measurement: Review of techniques

“…It is known for a long time that elastic membrane moduli are temperature dependent [71]. More recent investigation by laser tweezers on the relationships between the temperature and the biomechanical properties of human erythrocyte showed that the RBC is more deformable when heated above 37 • C under thermal fluid flow conditions, especially at a higher flow velocity due to a thermal-fluid effect [29] and possibly due to a temperature higher than T c for hemoglobin according to the above-mentioned findings. In a different system, Couette (concentric cylinders) shearing system, the EIs measured at temperature between 25-37 • C were not significantly different from each other, regardless of the shear stress; EIs were found to be different in lower range: 20-30 • C [5,61].…”

Optical tweezers for single cells

“…It has been found that the mechanical properties of RBCs can be changed due to temperature change in the human body (Waugh & Evans 1979). Foo et al (2006) investigated the effect of heating and cooling on mechanical properties of a single RBC trapped by OT. It was found that the extra deformation under hydrodynamic flow for an RBC at body temperature (378C) was significantly higher than that at room temperature.…”

ECM-Based Materials in Cardiovascular Applications: Inherent Healing Potential and Augmentation of Native Regenerative Processes

“…Due to their surface properties, microstructure, degree of antigenicity of structural compounds, ability to absorb plasma proteins and overall porosity, biomaterials can directly influence the adhesion and differentiation processes of adaptive and innate immune cells. Macrophages are the dominant infiltrating cells which respond rapidly to biomaterial implantation in tissues [58,59]. These cells and their fused morphologic variants usually remain at biomaterial-tissue interfaces for the life-time of the device in vivo .…”