INFLUENCE OF CHOLESTEROL ENRICHMENT UNDER IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO CONDITIONS ON AGGREGATION AND DEFORMABILITY OF ERYTHROCYTES - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

Aggregation and deformability of cholesterol-enriched erythrocytes obtained from hyperchole-sterolaemic rabbits and prepared by incubating human erythrocytes in cholesterol-enriched plasma for 2h at 37 degrees C are determined. The aggregation process is described in terms of parameters determined by sequentially recording and analysing the He-Ne laser light transmission data through erythrocytes suspension by a PC-AT computer-based system. The deformability of erythrocytes is determined by measuring the passage time of erythrocytes through micropores of cellulose membranes. The results show that the aggregation of human erythrocytes is enhanced due to the cholesterol enrichment process. The formed aggregates are of larger size and these sediment faster. In contrast to this, the rabbit erythrocytes do not show his phenomenon as these sediment similar to monodisperse cells. The deformability of cholesterol-enriched erythrocytes is significantly reduced.