Cross-Platform Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue

Authors

S. R. Polio, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Aritra Nath Kundu, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Carey E. Dougan, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Nathan P. Birch, University of Massachusetts Amherst
D. Ezra Aurian-Blajeni, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jessica D. Schiffman, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Alfred J. Crosby, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Shelly Peyton, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow

Publication Date

2018

Journal or Book Title

PLOS One

Abstract

Published data on the mechanical strength and elasticity of lung tissue is widely variable, primarily due to differences in how testing was conducted across individual studies. This makes it extremely difficult to find a benchmark modulus of lung tissue when designing synthetic extracellular matrices (ECMs). To address this issue, we tested tissues from various areas of the lung using multiple characterization techniques, including micro-indentation, small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS), uniaxial tension, and cavitation rheology. We report the sample preparation required and data obtainable across these unique but complimentary methods to quantify the modulus of lung tissue. We highlight cavitation rheology as a new method, which can measure the modulus of intact tissue with precise spatial control, and reports a modulus on the length scale of typical tissue heterogeneities. Shear rheology, uniaxial, and indentation testing require heavy sample manipulation and destruction; however, cavitation rheology can be performed in situ across nearly all areas of the lung with minimal preparation. The Young’s modulus of bulk lung tissue using micro-indentation (1.4±0.4 kPa), SAOS (3.3±0.5 kPa), uniaxial testing (3.4±0.4 kPa), and cavitation rheology (6.1±1.6 kPa) were within the same order of magnitude, with higher values consistently reported from cavitation, likely due to our ability to keep the tissue intact. Although cavitation rheology does not capture the non-linear strains revealed by uniaxial testing and SAOS, it provides an opportunity to measure mechanical characteristics of lung tissue on a microscale level on intact tissues. Overall, our study demonstrates that each technique has independent benefits, and each technique revealed unique mechanical features of lung tissue that can contribute to a deeper understanding of lung tissue mechanics.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204765

Volume

13

Issue

10

License

UMass Amherst Open Access Policy

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Polio, S. R.; Kundu, Aritra Nath; Dougan, Carey E.; Birch, Nathan P.; Aurian-Blajeni, D. Ezra; Schiffman, Jessica D.; Crosby, Alfred J.; and Peyton, Shelly, "Cross-Platform Mechanical Characterization of Lung Tissue" (2018). PLOS One. 879.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204765