Zy. Wen et al., A STUDY OF EFFECTS OF WGA AND CONA ON RBC MEMBRANE-RECEPTORS USING A NEW EKTACYTOMETRIC METHOD, Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation, 17(6), 1997, pp. 467-478
With a new ektacytometry, we studied the relation between the microstr
ucture of red blood cell (RBC) membrane and the rheological properties
of RBCs in a shear flow field of low viscosity. The main contribution
s of this paper are as follows: 1. The hemorheological meanings of the
orientation index (DI)(or) and the small deformation index (DI)(d) we
re explored. (Dr)(or) is an overall rheological index depending on the
deformability and morphology of RBCs. The better the physiological sh
ape of RBCs is maintained, the greater the (DI)(or) is. (DI)(d) can be
used to describe the lipid fluidify of RBC membrane. Such an explanat
ion for the meaning of (DI)(d) has been forcefully supported by our ex
periments using electron spin resonance (ESR) and fluorescence polariz
ation. 2. The influence of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) of different co
ncentrations on the lipid fluidity of membrane is different from that
of concanavalin A (ConA). The lipid fluidity of membrane changes with
WGA concentration treating RBCs and there is a maximum value for the m
embrane fluidity at a specific concentration of WGA. However, the defo
rmability of membrane described by the integrate deformation index (ID
I) monotonically decreased with the increase in WGA concentration trea
ting RBCs. 3. It is concluded that the increase in the lipid fluidity
of red cell membrane is not necessarily associated with the improvemen
t of RBC deformability.