Biomechanics of red blood cells in human spleen and consequences for physiology and disease.

ABSTRACT: Red blood cells (RBCs) can be cleared from circulation when alterations in their size, shape, and deformability are detected. This function is modulated by the spleen-specific structure of the interendothelial slit (IES). Here, we present a unique physiological framework for development of prognostic markers in RBC diseases by quantifying biophysical limits for RBCs to pass through the IES, using computational simulations based on dissipative particle dynamics. The results show that the spleen selects RBCs for continued circulation based on their geometry, consistent with prior in vivo observations. A companion analysis provides critical bounds relating surface area and volume for healthy RBCs beyond which the RBCs fail the "physical fitness test" to pass through the IES, supporting indepe

SUBMITTER: Pivkin IV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4948333 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature