INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO MEMBRANE LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN RENAL-FAILURE

The susceptibility of membrane lipids to peroxidation in renal failure was investigated. A fluorescent polyunsaturated fatty acid probe, cis -parinaric acid, showed that mononuclear leucocytes from both chronic renal failure and haemodialysis patients had increased susceptibility to membrane lipid peroxidation compared with normal controls. The effe ct of oxidant stress on the physical properties of the cell membrane w as also investigated by measuring fluidity with the probes diphenylhex atriene and trimethylaminodiphenyl-hexatriene. Oxidant stress caused a significant increase in membrane fluidity of mononuclear leucocytes f rom normal controls, which was greater than that seen in renal failure . The effect of oxidant stress on the physical properties of the cell membrane was not simply determined by the susceptibility of the membra ne lipids to peroxidation.