Inability of red blood cells from hyperlipemic patients to adapt to lysolecithin¹

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rogausch, H. | Kaffarnik, H. | Schubotz, R. | Mühlfellner, G. | Schneider, J.

Affiliations: Institute of Physiology and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Marburg/L., Federal Republic of Germany

Note: [1] Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ro 467/1).

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor N. Scmid-Schönbein

Abstract: Lysolecithin induces a disc-echinocyte transformation at the moment of contact with normal red cells. This is accompanied by a transient increase in the viscosity of red-cell suspensions, which returns spontaneously to normal during prolonged contact with lysolecithin. Since metabolic processes of the red cell are involved in the normalization of viscosity, the term “red-cell adaptation” is used for this property. The present paper shows that red-cell adaptation to lysolecithin is absent in hyperlipemic patients. In addition, 25% of the latter had less deformable red cells in freshly drawn venous blood samples. Interpretation of the mechanisms involved in red-cell adaptation and its failure leads to the assumption that there may be a link between reversible (by lysolecithin) and irreversible (in venous blood) reductions of red-cell deformability.

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1978-153-417

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 15, no. 3-4, pp. 303-310, 1978