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Published on: September 1, 2015
Erythrocyte membrane fluidity in adult polycystic kidney disease: difference between intact cells and ghost membranes
K Vareesangthip1, T H Thomas, P Tong
1Department of Medicine, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Abstract:
In adult polycystic kidney disease (APCKD) the cytoskeleton of renal tubular cells is abnormal. In erythrocytes the cytoskeleton affects the fluidity of membrane lipids. The authors determined fluorescence anisotropy in intact erythrocytes and erythrocyte ghosts in 12 APCKD patients and 12 normal subjects. In APCKD whole erythrocytes had a much lower core-region anisotropy, which indicated higher membrane fluidity than normal (mean 0 center dot 175 vs. 0 center dot 224, P < 0 center dot 01). This abnormality was not detected in erythrocyte ghosts, which suggests that preparation of ghosts altered membrane lipid organization. This could be directly due to ghosting or secondary to the loss of cytoskeletal effects, which may be abnormal in APCKD.
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