Regensburg 2022 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 9: Bioimaging

BP 9.3: Talk

Tuesday, September 6, 2022, 10:00–10:15, H16

Investigation of human platelet volume changes with scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) — •Konstantin Krutzke, Jan Seifert, Johannes Rheinlaender, and Tilman E. Schäffer — Institute of Applied Physics, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Germany

Human blood platelets (thrombocytes) are anucleate cells that play an important role in wound closure in the case of vessel injury. Changes in morphology and activation of platelets are linked to blood vessel diseases such as atherosclerosis or can cause thrombosis. Water-induced swelling promotes procoagulant activity and possibly initiates thrombosis. Volume changes of platelets can be measured by light transmittance or light scattering techniques. However, these studies have only qualitatively shown that platelets regulate their volume as a response to different osmotic conditions and usually have not been performed on a single-cell level. To elucidate the volume regulatory mechanisms of platelets, we used scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to quantitatively measure dynamic volume changes of single adhered platelets under different osmotic conditions with down to sub-minute time-resolution. SICM is a nanopipette-based, contact-free imaging technique ideally suited for sensitive live cells such as platelets. Our data show that rapid volume regulation of non-activated adherent platelets occurs in direct response to different osmotic conditions. Activated platelets, however, seem not to be able to regulate their volume when the osmolarity changes. We thereby highlight the usability of SICM for high-speed volume measurements.