Optical tweezers study of red blood cell aggregation and disaggregation in plasma and protein solutions.

Kinetics of optical tweezers (OT)-induced spontaneous aggregation and disaggregation of red blood cells (RBCs) were studied at the level of cell doublets to assess RBC interaction mechanics. Measurements were performed under in vitro conditions in plasma and fibrinogen and fibrinogen + albumin solutions. The RBC spontaneous aggregation kinetics was found to exhibit different behavior depending on the cell environment.

Direct measurements of magnetic interaction-induced cross-correlations of two microparticles in Brownian motion.

The effect of magnetic interactions on the Brownian motion of two magnetic microparticles is investigated. The cross-correlations of the thermal fluctuations of the two magnetic microbeads are directly measured using double-trap optical tweezers. It is experimentally demonstrated that the cross-correlation function is governed by the gradient of the magnetic force between the microparticles.

An effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors on the kinetics of red blood cells aggregation.

The reversible aggregation of red blood cells (RBCs) continues to be of the basic science and clinical interest. Recently it has been reported about a specific binding between fibrinogen and unknown erythrocyte glycoprotein receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the red blood cell aggregation (RBCA) include the cell-cell interaction using the membrane receptors that bind such ligands as fibrinogen or fibronectin.

Cellular viscoelasticity probed by active rheology in optical tweezers.

A novel approach to probe viscoelastic properties of cells based on double trap optical tweezers is reported. Frequency dependence of the tangent of phase difference in the movement of the opposite erythrocyte edges while one of the edges is forced to oscillate by optical tweezers appeared to be highly dependent on the rigidity of the cellular membrane. Effective viscoelastic parameters characterizing red blood cells with different stiffnesses (normal and glutaraldehyde-fixed) are determined.

Normal and system lupus erythematosus red blood cell interactions studied by double trap optical tweezers: direct measurements of aggregation forces.

Direct measurements of aggregation forces in piconewton range between two red blood cells in pair rouleau are performed under physiological conditions using double trap optical tweezers. Aggregation and disaggregation properties of healthy and pathologic (system lupus erythematosis) blood samples are analyzed. Strong difference in aggregation speed and behavior is revealed using the offered method which is proposed to be a promising tool for SLE monitoring at single cell level.