Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the mechanical properties and adhesion force of cells using a single cell tensile test and atomic force microscopy: Remarkable differences in cell types.

Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the mechanical properties and adhesion force of cells using a single cell tensile test and atomic force microscopy: Remarkable differences in cell types. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2020 Oct;110:103935 Authors: Nagayama K, Ohata S, Obata S, Sato A Abstract Many experimental techniques have been reported to provide knowledge of the mechanical behavior of cells from biomechanical viewpoints, however, it is unclear how the intercellular structural differences influence macroscopic and microscopic mechanical properties of cells. The aim of our study is to clarify the comprehensive mechanical properties and cell-substrate adhesion strength of cells, and the correlation with intracellular structure in different cell types. We developed an originally designed micro tensile tester, and performed a single cell tensile test to estimate whole cell tensile stiffness and adhesion strength of normal vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and cervical cancer HeLa cells: one half side of the specimen cell was lifted up by a glass microneedle, then stretched until the cell detached from the substrate, while force was simultaneously measured. The tensile stiffness and adhesion strength were 49 ± 10 nN/% and 870 ± 430 nN, respectively, in VSMCs (mean ± SD, n = 8), and 19 ± 17 nN/% and 320 ± 160 nN, respectively, in HeLa cells (n = 9). The difference was more definite in the surface elastic modulus map obtained ...
Source: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Tags: J Mech Behav Biomed Mater Source Type: research