TY - JOUR
T1 - Micropipette aspiration on the outer hair cell lateral wall
AU - Sit, P. Sidney
AU - Spector, Alexander A.
AU - Lue, Allen J.C.
AU - Popel, Aleksander S.
AU - Brownell, William E.
PY - 1997/6
Y1 - 1997/6
N2 - The mechanical properties of the lateral wall of the guinea pig cochlear outer hair cell were studied using the micropipette aspiration technique. A fire-polished micropipette with an inner diameter of ~4 μm was brought into contact with the lateral wall and negative pressure was applied. The resulting deformation of the lateral wall was recorded on videotape and subjected to morphometric analysis. The relation between the length of the aspirated portion of the cell and aspiration pressure is characterized by the stiffness parameter, K(s) = 1.07 ± 0.24 (SD) dyn/cm (n = 14). Values of K's do not correlate with the original cell length, which ranges from 29 to 74 μm. Theoretical analysis based on elastic shell theory applied to the experimental data yields an estimate of the effective elastic shear modulus, μ = 15.4 ± 3.3 dyn/cm. These data were obtained at subcritical aspiration pressures, typically less than 10 cm H2O. After reaching a critical (vesiculation) pressure, the cytoplasmic membrane appeared to separate from the underlying structures, a vesicle with a length of 10-20 μm was formed, and the cytoplasmic membrane resealed. This vesiculation process was repeated until a cell-specific limit was reached and no more vesicles were formed. Over 20 vesicles were formed from the longest cells in the experiment.
AB - The mechanical properties of the lateral wall of the guinea pig cochlear outer hair cell were studied using the micropipette aspiration technique. A fire-polished micropipette with an inner diameter of ~4 μm was brought into contact with the lateral wall and negative pressure was applied. The resulting deformation of the lateral wall was recorded on videotape and subjected to morphometric analysis. The relation between the length of the aspirated portion of the cell and aspiration pressure is characterized by the stiffness parameter, K(s) = 1.07 ± 0.24 (SD) dyn/cm (n = 14). Values of K's do not correlate with the original cell length, which ranges from 29 to 74 μm. Theoretical analysis based on elastic shell theory applied to the experimental data yields an estimate of the effective elastic shear modulus, μ = 15.4 ± 3.3 dyn/cm. These data were obtained at subcritical aspiration pressures, typically less than 10 cm H2O. After reaching a critical (vesiculation) pressure, the cytoplasmic membrane appeared to separate from the underlying structures, a vesicle with a length of 10-20 μm was formed, and the cytoplasmic membrane resealed. This vesiculation process was repeated until a cell-specific limit was reached and no more vesicles were formed. Over 20 vesicles were formed from the longest cells in the experiment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030927203&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030927203&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0006-3495(97)78923-9
DO - 10.1016/S0006-3495(97)78923-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 9168055
AN - SCOPUS:0030927203
SN - 0006-3495
VL - 72
SP - 2812
EP - 2819
JO - Biophysical journal
JF - Biophysical journal
IS - 6
ER -