Aspiration of biological viscoelastic drops.
Spherical cellular aggregates are in vitro systems to study the physical and biophysical properties of tissues. We present a novel approach to characterize the mechanical properties of cellular aggregates using a micropipette aspiration technique. We observe an aspiration in two distinct regimes: a fast elastic deformation followed by a viscous flow. We develop a model based on this viscoelastic behavior to deduce the surface tension, viscosity, and elastic modulus. A major result is the increase of the surface tension with the applied force, interpreted as an effect of cellular mechanosensing.
Guevorkian
Karine
K
UMR 168, Institut Curie/CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75248 Paris, France.
Colbert
Marie-Josée
MJ
Durth
Mélanie
M
Dufour
Sylvie
S
Brochard-Wyart
Françoise
F
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004548:Elasticity; D051379:Mice; D013500:Surface Tension; D014783:Viscosity