Decreased mechanical stability of neonatal red cell membrane quantified by measurement of the elastic area compressibility modulus

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Meyburg, Jochen^; | Böhler, Thomas | Linderkamp, Otwin

Affiliations: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D‐69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Note: [] Corresponding author: Jochen Meyburg, Universitäts‐Kinderklinik, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D‐69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Tel.: +49 6221 562311; Fax: +49 6221 565626; E‐mail: [email protected]‐heidelberg.de.

Abstract: Previous studies suggest that early loss of membrane might account for the shortened life‐span of neonatal red blood cells (RBC). The elastic area compressibility modulus describes the force required to achieve a defined expansion of the membrane and is thus a suitable intrinsic material property to describe mechanical stability of the RBC membrane. We studied RBC in eight cord blood samples (representing fetal blood), ten 5‐day old full‐term neonates and seven healthy adults. The RBC were suspended in hypotonic buffer solution and investigated using a modification of the micropipet technique by Evans et al. Cord blood RBC (204 \pm 33 dyn/cm) and neonatal RBC (209 \pm 11 dyn/cm) showed a 25% lower elastic area compressibility modulus than adult cells (278 \pm 26 dyn/cm; p <0.05). Thus, less force was necessary for expansion of neonatal RBC membrane. We conclude that neonatal RBC are more susceptible to mechanical damage of their membrane than adult cells.

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 67-73, 2000