title: Erythrocyte plasma membrane perturbations in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet: effect of drinking sulphurous mineral water.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ability of calcic and magnesic-sulphate-sulphurous spring mineral water (SMW) to reduce total and erythrocyte plasma membrane cholesterol in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  By using different fluorescent probes, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene (TMA-DPH) and Laurdan, a possible correlation was evaluated between cholesterol content changes of the membranes and membrane fluidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results clearly show that hydropinic treatment reduced cholesterol level. No significant change was observed in DPH and TMA-DPH anisotropy values. By using Laurdan, an increase was observed in generalized polarization (GP(340)) in both groups of rats (the one that drank tap water and the one that drank SMW) compared with the controls. The rate of haemolysis was reduced in those erythrocyte suspensions in which cholesterol was increased, even if the enzymatic activity of glutathione peroxidase and catalase decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hydropinic treatment with SMW is of interest from the biomedical point of view, because it could represent an alternative approach in interventions aimed at ameliorating biological injury deriving from hypercholesterolaemia.
authors.affiliation: Dottorato di Ricerca in Invecchiamento e Nutrizione, Università di Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nasuti
authors.forename: Rosita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gabbianelli
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cantalamessa
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falcioni
mesh_terms: D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007848:Laurates; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008900:Mineral Waters / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007848:Laurates; D008900:Mineral Waters; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; C033628:1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene; D002784:Cholesterol; D015081:2-Naphthylamine; C065580:laurdan