Use of spin label and the flow-induced ESR spectral difference for studying erythrocyte deformation

ESR spin-labeling method is expanded to measure the macroscopic visco-elastic properties of erythrocytes. A suspension of erythrocytes with an incorporated fatty acid spin label was forced to flow through a flat ESR sample cells, and the ESR spectral change caused by the shear flow was utilized to assess the cell deformability. Chemical cross-linking or heat denaturation of membrane proteins to make the cells less deformable without any morphological change was found to reduce the relative spectral difference (delta h/h). This result indicates that the spectral difference is related to the cell deformation that accompanies the orientation of the cells in the shear flow. In addition, the average decay time (tau av) for the spectral difference observed when the flow was abruptly interrupted became shorter with an increase in the degree of cross-linking or heat-denaturation abruptly interrupted became shorter with an increase in the degree of cross-linking or heat-denaturation at 49 degrees C. Since the observed tau av is much shorter than the expected rotational correlation time for the erythrocyte, the decay is attributed to the deformation recovery process. It is demonstrated that the measurements of both delta h/h and tau av by ESR spectroscopy give qualitative information on the viscosity and the elasticity of the cell membrane system.