Contractile forces in platelet aggregates under microfluidic shear gradients reflect platelet inhibition and bleeding risk.

ABSTRACT: Platelets contract forcefully after their activation, contributing to the strength and stability of platelet aggregates and fibrin clots during blood coagulation. Viscoelastic approaches can be used to assess platelet-induced clot strengthening, but they require thrombin and fibrin generation and are unable to measure platelet forces directly. Here, we report a rapid, microfluidic approach for measuring the contractile force of platelet aggregates for the detection of platelet dysfunction. We find that platelet forces are significantly reduced when blood samples are treated with inhibitors of myosin, GPIb-IX-V, integrin α_IIbβ_3, P2Y₁₂, or thromboxane generation. Clinically, we find that platelet forces are measurably lower in cardiology patients taking aspir

SUBMITTER: Ting LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6416331 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature