Erythrocyte, platelet and polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane dynamic properties in essential hypertension.

In subjects with essential hypertension we evaluated, respectively, the red cell membrane protein lateral mobility (obtained marking intact red blood cells with pyrene-3-maleimide (3-PM)), the erythrocyte membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact erythrocytes with 10-(1-pyrene) decanoic acid), the red cell membrane transverse fluidity gradient (obtained marking intact red blood cells with a set of fatty acid fluorescent probes (2-AP, 6-AS, 9-AS, 12-AS)), the platelet membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact and unstimulated platelets with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and with 1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH)) and the polymorphonuclear membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact and unstimulated polymorphonuclear cells with TMA-DPH). From the obtained data it is evident that: (1) red cell membrane protein lateral mobility does not distinguish normals from hypertensives; (2) erythrocyte membrane fluidity and red cell membrane transverse fluidity gradient clearly discriminate normals from hypertensives; (3) platelet membrane fluidity differentiates normals from hypertensives only when DPH is used as fluorescent probe; (4) polymorphonuclear membrane fluidity does not distinguish normals from hypertensives. Our results show that in essential hypertension a different behaviour of the membrane dynamic properties in the circulating blood cells is evident.