Correlation between the n-alkanols-induced sensitization of erythrocytes to hyperthermia and the fluidization of their membrane.
It was reported recently that the thermohaemolysis of mammalian erythrocytes is related to a thermo-induced membrane event of permeability barrier impairment in which the inactivation of membrane proteins is implicated. Here, the influence of different n-alkanols, methanol to octanol, on the onset temperature Tm of this barrier impairment event was compared with the changes in the dynamic properties of the membrane lipid region for human erythrocytes. The potencies of these n-alkanols to decrease Tm, to fluidize and disorder the lipid region were strongly related to their lipid solubilities. With respect to their membrane concentration, all the applied n-alkanols were roughly equipotent in decreasing Tm and in fluidizing and disordering the membrane lipids. Since Tm corresponds to the stability of erythrocytes against hyperthermia, this result indicates that the heat sensitization of these cells, induced by the n-alkanols employed, strongly correlated the fluidization (disordering) of the lipid region of their membranes.
Ivanov
I T
IT
Department of Physics and Biophysics, Medical Institute of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Zlatanov
I
I
D000438:Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood; D013696:Temperature
D000438:Alcohols; D008563:Membrane Lipids