Red cell membrane fluidity and red cell aggregation in vascular atherosclerotic disease

Abstract

We evaluated the red cell membrane dynamic property and the mean erythrocyte aggregation (MEA) in vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD). Our study includes two group of subjects with VAD. In the first group the ghosts were marked with DPH and the membrane microviscosity was calculated from the polarization degree. In the second group the red cell membrane fluidity was evaluated on intact red cells using the fluorescent label pyrene and calculating the Iex/Im ratio; in this group the subjects were subdivided according to the mono (MVAD) or polivascular (PVAD) lesions. From the obtained data the different trend of the membrane microviscosity and of the membrane fluidity is evident; more homogeneous is the behaviour of the MEA that in VAD is significantly increased. No significant correlations are evident between and MEA and between Iex/Im and MEA. Interesting the findings regarding the relationships between the rheological determinants and some individual phospholipids.