The vesicle mechanical behaviors were studied upon its exposure to 3-hydroxybutyric acid using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 3-hydroxybutyric acid were used to manufacture the vesicles at their desired ratio. The deflection of an AFM probe with respect to its displacement was measured after characterizing the vesicle adsorption. The movement was analyzed with the Hertzian model to understand the physical behavior of the vesicles. However, in the deflection just prior to the first penetration, the model was a good fit, and the vesicle mechanical moduli were calculated. The moduli became lower with the higher ratio of 3-hydroxybutyric acid to DPPC, but the moduli were saturated at 0.5 of the ratio. These results appear to be the basis for the function of the metabolism associated with 3-hydroxybutyric acid, i.e., anesthetization and glycemic control, on the physical properties of cell membranes.
Keywords: 3-hydroxybutyric acid; mechanical properties; vesicles.