Osmotic conditions in rheologic properties of erytrocites

The decreasing viability and in vivo survival of red blood cells, RBCs, observed in blood bank-storage are due to alterations in their rheologic properties and metabolic status. However, there is a lack of electrokinetic experiments with erythrocytes by the screening produced by the high concentration of buffer required to keep the isoosmotic conditions. Electrokinetic measurements in a wide range of sodium chloride and tetrasodium pyrophosphate are undertaken on liposomes as cell models, and in order to get an aqueous media suitable for maintaining osmotic conditions and allowing electrophoretic mobility measurements as well, advantage has been taken of dextrose properties. Measured electrokinetic values are practically constant in a wide concentration range of dextrose. With this in mind, the optimal dextrose concentration for RBCs was determined through the Drabkinʹs method and its value was inside the above suitable dextrose range. Electrokinetic measurements of RBCs were then undertaken in this medium.