Hyperinsulinemia and Membrane Microviscosity of Erythrocytes as Risk Factors for Stroke in Patients With Impaired Glucose Tolerance To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent article by Dr Vermeer and colleagues1 dealing with the impaired glucose tolerance and stroke risk in nondiabetic patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke. The results of their study...

The microviscosity and fluidity of erythrocyte ghost membranes from lead workers and control subjects was measured by fluorescence polarisation using the fluorophore, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). Increased lead was associated with a significant decrease in the average microviscosity of resealed and unsealed erythrocyte membranes. Since DPH fluorescence reflects the organisation of lipid...

Aerobic metabolism which is required for long swimming activities during the eel's spawning migration at depth, is a potential target for pressure effects due to its components located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation). Previous studies have evidenced that eels are able to acclimatize to pressure through membrane fluidity adjustment. However t...

The effect of new lysosomotropic compounds on red blood cell hemolysis and erythrocyte membrane fluidity has been investigated. In earlier studies it was shown that the compounds inhibit the growth of yeast and plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity. The study was performed with eight aminoethyl esters of lauric acid variously substituted at nitrogen atom. Esters of dodecanoic acid were chosen fo...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of tea tree oil and its components against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. METHODS Yeast cells were treated with tea tree oil or components, at one or more concentrations, for up to 6 h. During this time, alterations in permeability were assessed by measuring the leakage of 260 nm abso...

There are only minor changes in the amounts of the major lipid constituents of Dictyostelium discoideum plasma membranes during the early stages in the differentiation of this organism. By the time cells reach the pseudoplasmodial stage of development there are small increases in the amounts of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and small decreases in ...

Bile-salt hydrophobicity regulates biliary phospholipid secretion and subselection. The aim of this study was to determine whether bile salts can influence liver plasma membrane phospholipids and fluidity in relation to the ATP-dependent transporter. Rats were depleted of bile salts by overnight biliary diversion and then sodium taurocholate was infused intravenously at a constant rate (200 nmo...

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that has been implicated in many outbreaks associated with ready-to-eat products. Listeria adjusts to various stresses by adjusting its membrane fluidity, increasing the uptake of osmoprotectants and cryoprotectants, and activating the sigma(B) stress factor. The present work examines the regulation of membrane fluidity through direct measurement ...