Factors determining the electro-optical behaviour of red blood cells

Electric light scattering technique is applied for investigation of red blood cells (RBC) surface electric properties, geometric and mechanical characteristics and interactions with neutral polymers. The electro-optically determined electric polarizability of RBC was found to depend on the surface electric charge. Fine glycocalyx structure alterations were indicated through electro-optical measurements. The diameter of RBC estimated through the electro-optically determined rotational diffusion coefficient is in very good agreement with literature data. RBC glycocalyx-solution interface viscosity, in the presence of dextran 75,000 obtained by electro-optics, is in remarkable agreement with electrophoretically and electrorotationally obtained data found in the literature. All three electrokinetic methods indicated polymer depletion on the RBC surface. Electro-optics, however, was additionally able to detect fine difference in the viscosity profiles at the RBC with altered glycocalyx structure. Electro-optical behavior of RBC was found to depend also on cell deformability. Relative deformability parameter estimated electro-optically was found to be correlated also to cytoplasmic properties—mean cellular hemoglobin.