title: Effect of pH on red blood cell deformability.
abstract: The effect of pH on the red blood cell (RBC) deformability, which is a consequence of a change of cell membrane elastic properties is studied experimentally. With the intention to reduce the effects on deformability of cell geometry and cytoplasmic viscosity, we measured the deformability of the cells with the same volume at various pH of cell suspension from 6.2 to 8.0. Constant cell volume was achieved by varying osmolarity. Deformability was quantified by measuring the elongation of RBCs subjected to velocity gradient in a transparent cone-plate rheoscope. Observed significant decrease of deformability at lower pH leads to the conclusion that membrane elastic properties could be affected by pH changes in the range from 6.2 to 8.0.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Lipičeva 2, 1104 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.|Institute J. Stefan, Jamova 39,1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Drago
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuzman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Lipičeva 2, 1104 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tadej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Žnidarčič
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Lipičeva 2, 1104 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gros
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Lipičeva 2, 1104 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vrhovec
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Lipičeva 2, 1104 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Saša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Svetina
authors.forename: Boštjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Žekš
keywords: Key words erythrocyte deformability; membrane elasticity; pH dependence