Erythrocytes under osmotic stress - modeling considerations

Various modeling approaches have been applied to describe structural changes of the erythrocyte constituents under osmotic stress. The constituents: (1) the lipid bilayer, (2) the actin-spectrin cortex, (3) the trans-membrane protein band 3, (4) the intracellular hemoglobin contribute to the relaxation phenomenon. Cells response includes the successive sub-bioprocesses: (1) erythrocyte swelling, (2) lifetime of the lipid structural integrity and the rearrangements of trans-membrane protein band 3, (3) the reversible hemolytic hole formation and hemoglobin release to surrounding solution. Herein, an attempt is made to discuss and connect various modeling approaches on various time scales which have been proposed in the literature in order to shed further light to this complex phenomenon which induces the erythrocyte to ghost phase transition. The results indicate that the erythrocyte swelling rate represents the key control factor for the structural ordering of the cell parts which induces anomalous nature of energy dissipation.