title: Constructal thermodynamics combined with infrared experiments to evaluate temperature differences in cells.
abstract: The aim of this work was to evaluate differences in energy flows between normal and immortalized cells when these distinct biological systems are exposed to environmental stimulation. These differences were considered using a constructal thermodynamic approach, and were subsequently verified experimentally. The application of constructal law to cell analysis led to the conclusion that temperature differences between cells with distinct behaviour can be amplified by interaction between cells and external fields. Experimental validation of the principle was carried out on two cellular models exposed to electromagnetic fields. By infrared thermography we were able to assess small changes in heat dissipation measured as a variation in cell internal energy. The experimental data thus obtained are in agreement with the theoretical calculation, because they show a different thermal dispersion pattern when normal and immortalized cells are exposed to electromagnetic fields. By using two methods that support and validate each other, we have demonstrated that the cell/environment interaction can be exploited to enhance cell behavior differences, in particular heat dissipation. We propose infrared thermography as a technique effective in discriminating distinct patterns of thermal dispersion and therefore able to distinguish a normal phenotype from a transformed one.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Energia, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lucia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Firenze, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grazzini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Bartolomeo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Montrucchio
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Energia, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grisolia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Energia, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Romano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borchiellini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gervino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e Specialistiche, Banca della Cute, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza Torino, Via Zuretti 29, 10126 Torino.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castagnoli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università di Torino, corso A.M. Dogliotti 14, 10126 Torino.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponzetto
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Torino.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silvagno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D013696:Temperature; D013817:Thermography