title: Application of atomic force microscopy in blood research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find suitable solutions having lesser granules and keeping erythrocytes in normal shapes under atomic force microscopy (AFM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight kinds of solutions, 1% formaldehyde, PBS buffer (pH7.2), citrate buffer (pH 6.0), 0.9% NaCl, 5% dextrose, TAE, 1640 medium and 5% EDTA-K2, were selected from commonly used laboratory solutions, and venous blood from a healthy human volunteer was drawn and anticoagulated with EDTA-K2. Before scanned by AFM (NanoScopeIIIa SPM, Digital Instruments, Santa Barbara, CA), a kind of intermixture was deposited on freshly cleaved mica and then dried in the constant temperature cabinet (37 degrees).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One percent formaldehyde, citrate buffer, 5% dextrose, TAE, were found to keep human erythrocytes in normal shape with few particles. Processed by these solutions, fine structures of human erythrocyte membrane were obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One percent formaldehyde, citrate buffer, 5% dextrose and TAE may be applied to dispose erythrocytes in AFM. The results may offer meaningful data for clinical diagnosis of blood by AFM.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanomedicine, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing 100039, China. xlji@greenbeijing.com
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Ya-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Ming-Shi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D002021:Buffers; D048430:Cell Shape; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D005404:Fixatives; D012996:Solutions; D005557:Formaldehyde