Investigation of temperature effect on cell mechanics by optofluidic microchips

Tie Yang, Giovanni Nava, Paolo Minzioni, Manuela Veglione, Francesca Bragheri, Francesca Demetra Lelii, Rebeca Martinez Vazquez, Roberto Osellame, and Ilaria Cristiani

Here we present the results of a study concerning the effect of temperature on cell mechanical properties. Two different optofluidic microchips with external temperature control are used to investigate the temperature-induced changes of highly metastatic human melanoma cells (A375MC2) in the range of ~0 – 35 °C. By means of an integrated optical stretcher, we observe that cells’ optical deformability is strongly enhanced by increasing cell and buffer-fluid temperature. This finding is supported by the results obtained from a second device, which probes the cells’ ability to be squeezed through a constriction. Measured data demonstrate a marked dependence of cell mechanical properties on temperature, thus highlighting the importance of including a proper temperature-control system in the experimental apparatus.

DOI