A brief exploration of the physical properties of single living cells under dynamic loading conditions

TL;DR

This study explores how single living cells respond to fast mechanical impacts, revealing their mechanical behavior without interference from biological processes.

Contribution

A custom dynamic loading system and a Tait-like state equation were developed to model rapid cell deformation under high-rate impact.

Findings

Cells showed a two-stage expansion under shock loading, with cytoplasmic regions spreading first, followed by nuclear constraints.

A Tait-like state equation was derived to model the relationship between pressure and cell deformation.

High-speed imaging revealed that initial cell size and shape influenced deformation rates under dynamic loading.

Abstract

Single living cells exhibit both active biological functions and material-like mechanical behaviors. While extensive research has focused on static or quasi-static loading, the purely mechanical properties under high-rate impact remain underexplored. Investigating cell responses to dynamic loading can isolate rapid deformation characteristics, potentially clarifying how life activities modulate mechanical behavior.

We developed a custom dynamic loading system to expose single adherent macrophage cells to transient compression–shear stresses in a controlled fluid environment. A Polymethyl Methacrylate chamber housed the cells, and impact pressures (156.48–3603.85 kPa) were measured in real time using a high-frequency sensor. High-speed imaging (up to 2×105 fps) captured cellular area changes, providing insight into global deformation. In total, 198 valid experiments were performed, and statistical tests confirmed that initial perimeter and area followed normal-like distributions suitable for theoretical analysis.

Cells demonstrated a two-stage expansion under shock loading. At lower pressures, cytoplasmic regions rapidly spread into the focal plane, producing significant increases in projected area. As pressure rose further, deformation rate decreased, reflecting the constraining influence of the nucleus. By analyzing the final-to-initial area ratios across various pressures and initial cell sizes, we derived an incomplete state equation akin to Tait-like or Birch–Murnaghan models, indicating an inflection point of maximum deformation rate.

These findings highlight that fast impact loading effectively minimizes confounding biological processes, revealing intrinsic mechanical responses. The proposed state equation captures cell behavior within milliseconds, offering a path to integrate dynamic results with slower, life-activity-driven adaptations, and laying groundwork for more comprehensive biomechanical models of living cells.

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