Biomaterial Database

Effect of free fatty acids on erythrocyte morphology and membrane fluidity. 1997

I B Zavodnik, and A Zaborowski, and A Niekurzak, and M Bryszewska

Institute of Biophysics, University of Lodz, Poland.

Changes in red blood cell shape and membrane properties in response to the interaction with free fatty acids and their derivatives were studied by light scattering at small and large angles, light microscopy and fluorescence anisotropy. The influence of these agents depended on the end groups and increased with increasing chain length. The fatty acids exerted a biphasic effect on the cell size, shape and surface properties, and induced erythrocyte aggregation. After transient size alteration with a reduction in diameter, caused by low free fatty acid concentrations (up to 5-10 microM in the case of palmitic acid), fatty acids increased the erythrocyte diameter at higher concentrations (20-60 microM in the case of palmitic acid). The aliphatic aldehydes and methyl esters of fatty acids significantly decreased the cell diameter at the concentrations used. Changes in erythrocyte shape and size were accompanied by changes in membrane microviscosity. Palmitic acid decreased the rotational diffusion of the fluorescence probe incorporated into the membrane whereas methyl ester of palmitic acid and lauric aldehyde increased probe mobility. Also the erythrocyte modification by malondialdehyde influenced cell morphology and highly decreased membrane fluidity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008027	Light	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared range.	Light, Visible,Photoradiation,Radiation, Visible,Visible Radiation,Photoradiations,Radiations, Visible,Visible Light,Visible Radiations
D008560	Membrane Fluidity	The motion of phospholipid molecules within the lipid bilayer, dependent on the classes of phospholipids present, their fatty acid composition and degree of unsaturation of the acyl chains, the cholesterol concentration, and temperature.	Bilayer Fluidity,Bilayer Fluidities,Fluidities, Bilayer,Fluidities, Membrane,Fluidity, Bilayer,Fluidity, Membrane,Membrane Fluidities
D002449	Cell Aggregation	The phenomenon by which dissociated cells intermixed in vitro tend to group themselves with cells of their own type.	Aggregation, Cell,Aggregations, Cell,Cell Aggregations
D004910	Erythrocyte Membrane	The semi-permeable outer structure of a red blood cell. It is known as a red cell 'ghost' after HEMOLYSIS.	Erythrocyte Ghost,Red Cell Cytoskeleton,Red Cell Ghost,Erythrocyte Cytoskeleton,Cytoskeleton, Erythrocyte,Cytoskeleton, Red Cell,Erythrocyte Cytoskeletons,Erythrocyte Ghosts,Erythrocyte Membranes,Ghost, Erythrocyte,Ghost, Red Cell,Membrane, Erythrocyte,Red Cell Cytoskeletons,Red Cell Ghosts
D004912	Erythrocytes	Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.	Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D004952	Esters	Compounds derived from organic or inorganic acids in which at least one hydroxyl group is replaced by an –O-alkyl or another organic group. They can be represented by the structure formula RCOOR’ and are usually formed by the reaction between an acid and an alcohol with elimination of water.	Ester
D005230	Fatty Acids, Nonesterified	FATTY ACIDS found in the plasma that are complexed with SERUM ALBUMIN for transport. These fatty acids are not in glycerol ester form.	Fatty Acids, Free,Free Fatty Acid,Free Fatty Acids,NEFA,Acid, Free Fatty,Acids, Free Fatty,Acids, Nonesterified Fatty,Fatty Acid, Free,Nonesterified Fatty Acids
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell
D005454	Fluorescence Polarization	Measurement of the polarization of fluorescent light from solutions or microscopic specimens. It is used to provide information concerning molecular size, shape, and conformation, molecular anisotropy, electronic energy transfer, molecular interaction, including dye and coenzyme binding, and the antigen-antibody reaction.	Anisotropy, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropy,Polarization, Fluorescence,Anisotropies, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropies,Fluorescence Polarizations,Polarizations, Fluorescence
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man