Investigation of the kinetics of coagulation and morphological observations of blood clot formation

A. Alexandrova, N. Antonova, E. E. Konstantinova, G. B. Melnikova, A. S. Petrovskaya

Abstract: The kinetics of blood coagulation induced in vitro was studied at a steady shear flow at low shear rates 0,0237 s-1 and 0,0596 s-1, by means of the rotational viscometer Low Shear 30 Contraves (LS 30, Switzerland). Atomic force microscope (AFM) scanning of the clot formed in the gap between the concentric cylinders of the rheometer under shearing flow at low shear rates of 0,0237 s-1 and 0,0596 s-1 for 17 minutes was performed. Two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) topography (using contact mode of AFM) and torsion (lateral force maps) images were recorded by means of the atomic force microscope “NТ-206” (Microtestmachines Co., Belarus).
The results from evaluation of the induced in vitro blood coagulation show that the clot formation is accelerated by the applied shear rate. The observed transformations of platelets (PLTs) and erythrocytes (RBCs) of the experimentally produced clot, formed under shearing flow at two different rates have been observed by means of the atomic force microscope. The morphological characteristics of the experimentally induced clot, such as activated platelets, fibrin network, platelet-derived microparticles/granules, RBCs aggregates etc., were evaluated by AFM. The results obtained could contribute to better understanding of the different stages of blood clotting- and hemostasis processes and to further clarifying of thrombus formation and treatment.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.31, No.4 (2017), 34- 42

Keywords: atomic force microscope (AFM); experimental blood clot formation; Kinetics of blood coagulation; platelets (thrombocytes)

Date published: 2018-01-10