Micromechanical properties of peripheral blood cells (erythrocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophils) in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, examined with atomic force microscope (AFM)

N. Antonova, A. Alexandrova, G. Melnikova, A. Petrovskaya, E. Konstantinova, I.Velcheva, N. Chaushev, E. Zvetkova

Abstract: The aim of the study is by using atomic force microscope (AFM) to evaluate the micromechanical properties – elasticity (Young’s) modulus and adhesion forces of the membranes of peripheral blood cells – erythrocytes, granulocytes/neutrophils and lymphocytes in healthy individuals and in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). An AFM scanning of the samples was performed with atomic force microscope “NТ-206” (Microtestmachines Co., Belarus) at the Laboratory of Nanoprocesses and Technologies at the Institute for Heat and Mass Transfer “A.V. Luikov”, NASB, Minsk, Belarus using standard silicon cantilevers NSC 11 type (MikroMasch, force constant of 2 N/m). The modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) was calculated using the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts model. The results show that the Young’s modulus and the adhesion forces of the erythrocyte membranes from diabetic patients significantly increased by 42% (p < 0.002) in comparison to the healthy persons’ erythrocyte elastic modulus. The Young’s modulus and adhesion forces of the neutrophils/granulocytes and lymphocytes in T2DM also increased by 52% and 41% respectively, as compared to the data from healthy donors.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.33, No. 4(2019), 3 - 11

Keywords: Adhesion force; Atomic force microscopy (AFM); blood cells erythrocytes; Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM); leukocytes (lymphocytes, granulocytes/neutrophils); Youngs modulus

Date published: 2019-12-21