Cholesterol induced impairment in red cell deformability and its improvement by vitamin E

Abstract

Passability of rabbit red cells through micropores (5 and 3 µm in diameter) was markedly reduced by two weeks of cholesterol feeding. In vitamin E-nicotinate administered rabbits, the pore passage times of red cells became shorter in spite of the cholesterol feeding, suggesting a positive effect of vitamin E-nicotinate on the red cell deformability impaired by hypercholesterolemia. Vitamin E-nicotinate probably modifies the interaction between red cells and plasma cholesterol.