title: Imaging the elastic modulus of human platelets during thrombin-induced activation using scanning ion conductance microscopy.
abstract: Platelet activation plays a critical role in haemostasis and thrombosis. It is well-known that platelets generate contractile forces during activation. However, their mechanical material properties have rarely been investigated. Here, we use scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to visualise morphological and mechanical properties of live human platelets at high spatial resolution. We found that their mean elastic modulus decreases during thrombin-induced activation by about a factor of two. We observed a similar softening of platelets during cytochalasin D-induced cytoskeleton depolymerisation. However, thrombin-induced temporal and spatial modulations of the elastic modulus were substantially different from cytochalasin D-mediated changes. We thereby provide new insights into the mechanics of haemostasis and establish SICM as a novel imaging platform for the ex vivo investigation of the mechanical properties of live platelets.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rheinlaender
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schächtele
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Borst
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Meinrad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gawaz
authors.affiliation: Tilman E. Schäffer, Institute of Applied Physics, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany, Tel.: +49 7071 29 76030, E-mail: tilman.schaeffer@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Tilman E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schäffer
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000737:chemistry; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015539:Platelet Activation; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013917:Thrombin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D011108:Polymers; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D013917:Thrombin
keywords: SICM; Thrombin; cytochalasin D; scanning ion conductance microscopy; stiffness