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Stability of spiculated red blood cells induced by intercalation of amphiphiles in cell membrane

Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing volume 36, pages251–255(1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The stability of speculated red blood cells, induced by intercalation of amphiphilic molecules into the cell membrane, is studied. It is assumed that the stable red blood cell shape corresponds to the minimum of its membrane elastic energy, which consists of the local and non-local bilayer bending energies and of the skeleton shear elastic energy. The cell volume and the membrane area are kept constant. It is calculated that the number of spicules of the stable echinocytic shape is larger when the amphiphile concentration is higher, which is in agreement with experimental observations. Also, it is established that, in explaining the stability of the echinocytic shape of the red blood cell, it is necessary to include the membrane skeleton shear elasticity.

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Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Applied Physics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Sl-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Dr. A. Iglič

  2. Institute of Biophysics, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Sl-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Dr. A. Iglič & V. Kralj-Iglič

  3. Department of Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FIN-20520, Åbo/Turku, Finland

    H. Hägerstrand

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  1. Dr. A. Iglič
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  2. V. Kralj-Iglič
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  3. H. Hägerstrand
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Correspondence to Dr. A. Iglič.

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Iglič, A., Kralj-Iglič, V. & Hägerstrand, H. Stability of spiculated red blood cells induced by intercalation of amphiphiles in cell membrane. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 36, 251–255 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02510754

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Keywords

  • Red blood cell
  • Cell shape stability
  • Echinocyte
  • Membrane skeleton
  • Membrane elastic energy