A quantum mechanical Interaction of human erythrocytes

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Rowlands ◽  
L. S. Sewchand ◽  
E. G. Enns

Theory predicts that the membrane potential will polarize membrane molecules and cause them to vibrate coherently at a frequency of ~ 1011 Hz. If the supply of metabolic energy exceeds a minimum value, membrane phonons may condense their momentum into a single "giant" vibrational mode. At 1011 Hz ionic screening is small up to distances of approximately a micrometre, so forces of a range several orders of magnitude longer than chemical forces can arise. These forces may be attractive or repulsive depending on frequency. They should occur in every metabolically active membrane and may control macromolecular transport and enzyme–substrate interactions. We find that normal human erythrocytes in plasma form rouleaux faster than Brownian motion predicts. When cells are fixed in glutaraldehyde or are metabolically depleted, or if the membrane potential is brought to zero, the rate of aggregation agrees with Brownian theory. When the metabolically depleted cells are revived or if the membrane potential is restored, then the interaction returns.

Blood ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 1983-1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM Bevers ◽  
T Wiedmer ◽  
P Comfurius ◽  
J Zhao ◽  
EF Smeets ◽  
...  

Elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in human erythrocytes induces a progressive loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry, a process that is impaired in erythrocytes from a patient with Scott syndrome. We show here that porcine erythrocytes are similarly incapable of Ca(2+)- induced redistribution of membrane phospholipids. Because a complex of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and Ca2+ has been proposed as the mediator of enhanced transbilayer movement of lipids (J Biol Chem 269:6347,1994), these cell systems offer a unique opportunity for testing this mechanism. Analysis of both total PIP2 content and the metabolic-resistant pool of PIP2 that remains after incubation with Ca2+ ionophore showed no appreciable differences between normal and Scott erythrocytes. Moreover, porcine erythrocytes were found to have slightly higher levels of both total and metabolic-resistant PIP2 in comparison with normal human erythrocytes. Although loading of normal erythrocytes with exogenously added PIP2 gave rise to a Ca(2+)-induced increase in prothrombinase activity and apparent transbilayer movement of nitrobenzoxadiazolyl (NBD)-phospholipids, these PIP2-loaded cells were also found to undergo progressive Ca(2+)-dependent cell lysis, which seriously hampers interpretation of these data. Moreover, loading Scott cells with PIP2 did not abolish their impaired lipid scrambling, even in the presence of a Ca(2+)-ionophore. Finally, artificial lipid vesicles containing no PIP2 or 1 mole percent of PIP2 were indistinguishable with respect to transbilayer movement of NBD- phosphatidylcholine in the presence of Ca2+. Our findings suggest that Ca(2+)-induced redistribution of membrane phospholipids cannot simply be attributed to the steady-state concentration of PIP2, and imply that such lipid movement is regulated by other cellular processes.


1975 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 375-384
Author(s):  
N. Worathumrong ◽  
A. J. Grimes

1. Some effects of sodium salicylate upon anaerobic glycolysis have been studied in normal human erythrocytes incubated for up to 6 h at 37°C in autologous sera. 2. Both glucose consumption and lactate production were stimulated by concentrations of salicylate up to 60 mmol/l but at the highest concentration used (90 mmol/l) an initial stimulus was followed by inhibition of glycolysis. 3. Losses occurred of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine 5′-phosphate (AMP) at higher concentrations of salicylate and there was a concomitant increase of inorganic phosphate. 4. Other phosphate esters underwent concentration changes at higher concentrations of salicylate that reflected inadequate concentrations of ATP for glycolysis. 5. The rates of sodium efflux from, and potassium influx into, erythrocytes were unaffected by the presence of salicylate at concentrations sufficient to stimulate glycolysis.


1999 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 1329-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Wood ◽  
Eric M. Yezdimer ◽  
Shinichi Sakane ◽  
Jose A. Barriocanal ◽  
Douglas J. Doren

1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (3) ◽  
pp. C269-C276 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Brugnara ◽  
D. C. Tosteson

We report here studies on the regulation of cell volume and K transport in human erythrocytes separated according to density. When cell volume was increased (isosmotic swelling, nystatin technique), erythrocytes of the least dense but not of the densest fraction shrunk back toward their original volume. This process was due to a ouabain (0.1 mM) and bumetanide (0.01 mM) (OB)-resistant K loss. OB-resistant K+ efflux from the least dense fraction was stimulated by hypotonic swelling and had a bell-shaped dependence on pH (pH optimum 6.75–7.0). These pH and volume effects were not evident in the densest fraction. The swelling-induced K+ efflux from the least dense fraction was inhibited when chloride was substituted by nitrate, thiocyanate, and acetate, whereas it was stimulated by bromide. Increasing cell Mg2+ content also markedly inhibited K+ efflux from isosmotically swollen cells. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM, 1 mM) greatly increased OB-resistant K+ efflux from the least dense fraction but not from the densest fraction. These data reveal the presence, in the lease dense fraction of normal human erythrocytes, of a pathway for K+ transport that is dependent on volume, pH, and chloride, is inhibited by internal Mg2+, and possibly plays a role in determining the erythrocyte water and cation content.


Open Physics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvete Guerini ◽  
David Azevedo ◽  
Maria Lima ◽  
Ivana Zanella ◽  
Josué Filho

AbstractThis paper deals with quantum mechanical interaction of no 3− with (5,5) and (8,0) swcnts. To perform this we have made an ab initio calculation based on the density functional theory. In these framework the electronic density plays a central role and it was obtained of a self-consistent field form. It was observed through binding energy that NO3− molecule interacts with each nanotube in a physisorption regime. We propose these swcnts as a potential filter device due to reasonable interaction with NO3− molecule. Besides this type of filter could be reusable, therefore after the filtering, the swcnts could be separated from NO3− molecule.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waclaw Tworzydlo ◽  
Malgorzata Sekula ◽  
Szczepan M. Bilinski

The most important role of mitochondria is to supply cells with metabolic energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As synthesis of ATP molecules is accompanied by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is highly vulnerable to impairment and, consequently, accumulation of deleterious mutations. In most animals, mitochondria are transmitted to the next generation maternally, i.e., exclusively from female germline cells (oocytes and eggs). It has been suggested, in this context, that a specialized mechanism must operate in the developing oocytes enabling escape from the impairment and subsequent transmission of accurate (devoid of mutations) mtDNA from one generation to the next. Literature survey suggest that two distinct and irreplaceable pathways of mitochondria transmission may be operational in various animal lineages. In some taxa, the mitochondria are apparently selected: functional mitochondria with high inner membrane potential are transferred to the cells of the embryo, whereas those with low membrane potential (overloaded with mutations in mtDNA) are eliminated by mitophagy. In other species, the respiratory activity of germline mitochondria is suppressed and ROS production alleviated leading to the same final effect, i.e., transmission of undamaged mitochondria to offspring, via an entirely different route.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document