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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
12:30
Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing for the Quantification of Endothelial Proliferation, Barrier Function, and Motility
Published on: March 28, 2014
ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE OF INJURED AND SENSITIZED RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES
1Walter B. James Laboratory for Biophysics, The Biological Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island.
The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
Summary
This study investigated red blood cell membrane permeability using electrical properties. Results indicate that low-frequency electrical variations are insensitive to minor permeability changes, only detecting significant hemolysis.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Hematology
Background:
- Previous research suggested frequency-dependent electrical capacity in hemolyzed red blood cells indicates membrane permeability.
- Understanding red blood cell membrane properties is crucial for diagnosing various hematological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if low-frequency electrical capacity variations in red blood cells correlate with changes in membrane permeability.
- To assess the sensitivity of electrical properties as an indicator of sub-lytic membrane alterations.
Main Methods:
- Rabbit red blood cells were treated with sub-lytic doses of various agents (lecithin, tannic acid, glucose, saponin, amboceptor, colloidal silicic acid).
- Electrical properties, specifically capacity variation with frequency at low frequencies, were measured for each treated suspension.
Main Results:
- No detectable changes in the electrical properties of the red blood cell suspensions were observed after treatment.
- The study found that minor alterations to membrane permeability did not affect the measured electrical characteristics.
Conclusions:
- The frequency variation of capacity at low frequencies is likely an insensitive indicator of red blood cell membrane permeability.
- This electrical measurement may only detect substantial membrane damage, such as that occurring during hemolysis, and not subtle permeability changes.
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