Assessment of the Elasticity of Erythrocytes in Different Physiological Fluids by Laser Traps

Taylor Barnes, Adam Shulman, Anthony Farone, Mary Farone, Daniel Erenso
In the study of the mechanical properties of the erythrocytes (red blood cells-RBCs) the blood sample is commonly diluted in fluids that do not compromise the integrity of the cells. Fetal bovine serum (FBS), newborn bovine serum (NBBS), and phosphate buffer (PBS) solution with a concentration that can provide the right osmotic pressure are fluids commonly used to dilute the blood samples in such studies. Here we have presented the effect of these fluids on the elastic properties of the RBCs that we studied using laser traps. Two laser traps are directly used to trap and deform the cell by exerting a force distributed on the entire cell. The relative changes in size of the cell are studied as a function of the applied force to investigate any effects on the mechanical deformability of RBCs when the cells are suspended in these fluids. The results have shown that the elasticity of the RBCs in the NBBS is not statistically different from the elasticity of the cells in the PBS solution; however the results for the elasticity of the cells in FBS are found to be significantly higher.

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