A model based upon pseudo regular spacing of cells combined with the randomisation of the nuclei can explain the significant changes in high-frequency ultrasound signals during apoptosis

Recent ultrasound (US) experiments on packed myeloid leukaemia cells have shown that, at frequencies from 32 to 40 MHz, significant increases of signal amplitude were observed during apoptosis. This paper is an attempt to explain these signal increases based upon a simulation of the backscattered signals from the cells nuclei. The simulation is an expansion of work in which a condensed sample of cells, with fairly regular sizes, could be considered as an imperfect crystal. Thus, destructive interference could occur and this would be observed as a large reduced value of backscattered signals compared with the values obtained from a similar, but random, scattering source. This current paper explores the possibility that simple changes in the nuclei, such as their observed condensation or the small loss of nuclei scatterers from cells, could cause a significant increase in the observed backscattered signals. This model indicates that the greater backscattered signals can be explained by further randomisation of the average positions of the scattering sources in each cell. When these “microechoes” are added together, so that the destructive interference is reduced, a large increase in the signal is predicted. The simplified model strongly suggests that much of observed large increases of the backscattered signals could be simply explained by the randomisation of the position of the condensed nuclei during apoptosis, and the destruction of the nuclei could produce further signal amplitude changes due to disruption of the cloud of backscattered waves. (E-mail: hunt@uhnres.utoronto.ca)