Membrane lipid analyses and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of membrane fluidity were carried out on the red cells of a Japanese patient with hereditary high red cell membrane phosphatidylcholine hemolytic anemia (HPCHA). Increased amounts of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol were found in the membrane lipids of the affected patient, despite normal plasma lipids. The order paramete...

Fluorescence polarisation of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was used to study the lymphocyte membrane in rheumatoid arthritis. The increase of polarisation value in the patients (n = 27) compared with healthy controls (n = 32) suggests a decrease of membrane fluidity. Moreover, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were positively correlated with lymphocyte fl...

In adaption to shifts in ambient temperature, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells maintain physiological homeostasis by adjusting various cellular properties, including membrane lipid fluidity, the capacity to maintain proteostasis and rate of protein synthesis [1]. How cells respond to temperature changes is a fundamental question in cell physiology. Here we briefly review current understand...

The effects of O33 and O49 P. mirabilis lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) on human erythrocyte membrane properties were examined. Physical parameters of the plasma membrane, such as membrane lipid fluidity, physical state of membrane proteins, and osmotic fragility, were determined. The fluidity of the lipids was estimated using three spin-labeled stearic acids of doxyl derivatives: 5-doxylstearic aci...

We have developed a quantitative and relatively model-independent measure of lipid fluidity using EPR and have applied this method to compare the temperature dependence of lipid hydrocarbon chain fluidity, overall protein rotational mobility, and the calcium-dependent enzymatic activity of the Ca-ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum. We define membrane lipid fluidity to be T/eta, where eta is the v...

BACKGROUND Cell membrane composition and fluidity are altered in hypertension. Previous reports suggest arachidonic acid, a metabolically active fatty acid, is increased in the membranes of hypertensive animals compared to control. This increase in unsaturated fatty acids does not explain the observed reduction in fluidity in hypertensive rats, suggesting some other factors affecting fluidity m...

This study continues our investigations concerning the interaction of phenol, catechol, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP) and 2,4-dimethylphenol (2,4-DMP) with human erythrocytes. We focus on the effects of these compounds on erythrocyte membrane fluidity, as well as on their impact on membrane proteins. The fluorimetric method and fluorescent probes (ANS, DPH and ...