Premium
Correlation between local cell membrane displacements and filterability of human red blood cells
Author(s) -
Tuvia Shmuel,
Levin Shlomo,
Korenstein Rafi
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(92)80583-3
Subject(s) - membrane , red blood cell , biophysics , cell membrane , cell , chemistry , blood cell , biology , biochemistry , immunology
Local mechanical fluctuations of the cell membrane of human erythrocytes were shown to involve MgATP‐ and Mg 2+ ‐driven fast membrane displacements. We propose that these local bending deformations of the cell membrane are important for cell passage through capillaries. In order to verify this hypothesis, we examined cell membrane fluctuations and filterability of erythrocytes over a wide range of medium osmolalities (180–675 mosmol/kg H 2 O). The results indicate the existence of a positive correlation between the amplitude of local cell membrane displacements and cell filterability. We suggest that the occurrence of metabolically driven membrane displacements on the side surface of the red blood cell diminishes its bending stiffness and enables it to fold more efficiently upon entrance into blood capillaries. Thus, local cell membrane displacements seem to play an important role in microcirculation.