Quantification of elongational stress in platelets in coronary artery stenosis

Sudden coronary artery occlusion has been one of the leading causes of death in the nation. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon have not been well understood because of the lack of in vivo data. As an initial step towards providing in vivo data, this study has used micropipette aspiration techniques and fluid flow modeling to quantitate the amount of elongational stress a platelet membrane undergoes as it passes through a stenosis. The elastic modulus of the platelet was determined to be 0.557 + 0.165 dynes/cm and the peak elongational stress was estimated to be 50 dynes/cm. This two step process provides a reasonable approximation of the amounts of elongation a platelet membrane is subjected to as it passes through a stenosis. This data will help to elucidate the fluid mechanical forces present in coronary artery stenosis.