Dynamics of Deformation Properties of Erythrocytes in Wistar Rats during Postnatal Ontogeny.

We performed a detailed analysis of changes in the profiles of osmotic deformability using the method of gradient ektacytometry. Changes in all determinants that form the deformation properties of red blood cells in Wistar rats in the juvenile period and before puberty were determined. The dynamics of the formation of the rheological properties of the blood after birth is characterized by a wave-like change in the studied determinants. The changes are explained by adaptive reactions to extrauterine life as a result of hematopoiesis activation and the transition of the red bone marrow to a new level of functioning with the predominant replacement of physiological reticulocytosis in newborns with mature erythrocytes. The most critical period is from 10 days to 1 month after birth. Starting from the second month, the deformation parameters of erythrocytes are stabilized.

A method for evaluation of membrane permeability for water by the erythrocyte osmotic deformability profiles.

We developed a method for evaluation of membrane permeability for water based on the analysis of osmotic permeability profiles of red blood cells. Deformability of completely spherulated erythrocytes changed in a dose-dependent manner during formation of artificial water pores (by nystatin) and blocking (by HgCl2) of the existing ones.

Rheologic properties of mammalian erythrocytes: relationship to transport ATPases.

Rheologic properties of erythrocytes and activities of their Ca(2+)-ATPase and Na+, K(+)-ATPase were analyzed together with standard erythrocyte values in seven mammalian species (man, rat, mouse, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig and dog). The number of erythrocytes in the blood of animals investigated correlated inversely with the mean cell volume (MCV) (r = -0.936, P = 0.002) and the mean cell hemoglobin content (MCH) (r = -0.923, P = 0.003). MCV and MCH also showed a high direct correlation with each other (r = 0.907, P = 0.005). The maximal erythrocyte deformability (DImax) measured with ektacytometry was inversely proportional to the MCV and MCH (r = -0.854, P = 0.014, and r = -0.940, P < 0.002, respectively). The MCV was also linearly related with the Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity (r = -0.791, P = 0.034). The major parameters of osmoscan (O' and Omax) and their derivatives (O'-Omin, Omax-Omin) were shown to be in a direct correlation with each other and with the activity of Na+, K(+)-ATPase in the whole erythrocytes except for the rabbit Na+, K(+)-ATPase. The activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase in the whole erythrocytes significantly correlated only with the O' and O'-Omin values. Thus, the activities of transport ATPases in mammalian red cells seem to be adjusted to the level required to maintain particular rheologic properties of the cells of one or other species.