Poiseuille flow method for measuring cell-to-cell adhesion.

A theoretical description of the cell aggregation process in the Poisseuille flow is presented, the capture efficiency being used as the measure of cell adhesiveness. The value of this coefficient is determined both for nonspecific and specific (i.e., mediated by molecules) cell-to-cell interactions. Regarding the cell adhesion described by the DLVO theory, it is possible to determine the conditions under which cell adhesion is maximal. The dependence of capture efficiency on parameters such as shear rate, size of cell, surface potential of cell, the Hamaker constant of substances constituting the cell membrane, and composition of the medium is analyzed. In the case of specific cell adhesion during flow, the change of suspension concentration is related to the number of free and occupied receptor sites, the diffusion constant of the receptors in the cell membrane, the force of a single bond, and the conditions of flow. It is possible to determine the diffusion constant from cell aggregation measurement when the force of a single bond and the number of free and occupied receptor sites are known.