Interaction between cationic dyes and erythrocyte membranes in minimal change nephropathy: an electrophoretic approach

Cell separation with horizontal cell electrophoresis under near-isopycnic conditions on a "density cushion"

This report describes an improvement made to the horizontal cell electrophoresis methodology. It involves using two liquid layers differing in density to produce an interface described as a "density cushion". The electrophoretic system that employed an anti-convective porous matrix to separate red blood cells (RBC) and charged dyes effectively was found to be unsuitable for some other mammalian cells. The "density cushion" method was found to be more versatile and applicable to studies on the separation of a variety of cell types. The experiments described show the differences between the electrophoretic mobilities of a human eosinophilic leukaemia cell line (Eol-1) and RBC, both with and without the modification of the cell surface properties.

Changes of physico-chemical characteristics of red blood cells in children with nephrotic syndrome

Changes of milieu interieur in nephrotic syndrome (NS) have many consequences in various organs. We have measured the electrical charge of erythrocytes (Ery) with binding of alcian blue (AB) in 18 children with relapse of NS (12 minimal changes, 3 membranous and 3 mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis) and 15 healthy children. The most important finding was that the binding of AB to Ery in patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and other aetiologies of NS was significantly less than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, we have studied the thermal denaturation of the Ery membranes by differential scanning microcalorimetry. In some children with NS we have seen the splitting of B transition. We suppose that these phenomena occur as the result of structural change, which may involve lipoprotein components of the cytoskeletal network.