SURFACE-PROPERTIES OF CROSS-LINKED ERYTHROCYTES AS STUDIED BY COUNTERCURRENT DISTRIBUTION IN AQUEOUS POLYMER 2-PHASE SYSTEMS

The bifunctional imidoester dimethyl suberimidate hydrochloride can st abilize rat red blood cells (RBCs) by membrane protein crosslinking, a nd in that way they can be used as carrier systems for exogenous subst ances. Counter-current distribution fractionation in charge-sensitive dextran-polyethyleneglycol two-phase systems has been used to detect s light changes in surface charge in stabilized cells. A decrease in the surface charge of crosslinked RBCs and an apparent masking of the age -related eel surface properties have been found to result from the pro tein crosslinking. Digitonin treatment used to permeabilize crosslinke d RBCs produces a significant decrease of the cell surface charge whil e the age-related surface properties do not seem to be modified by the treatment.