Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) impacts on erythrocyte viscoelasticity and its molecular mechanism

The oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) plays an important role in atherosclerosis, yet it remains unclear if it damages circulating erythrocytes. In this study, erythrocyte deformability and its membrane proteins after Ox-LDL incubations are investigated by micropipette aspiration, thiol radical measurement, and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results show that Ox-LDL incubation reduces the erythrocyte deformability, decreases free thiol radical contents in erythrocytes, and induces the cross-linking among membrane proteins. SDS-PAGE analysis reveals a high molecular weight (HMW) complex as well as new bands between spectrins and band 3 and reduced ratios between band 3 and other major membrane skeletal proteins. Analyses indicate that Ox-LDL makes erythrocytes harder to deform through a molecular mechanism by which the oxidation of free thiol radicals forms disulfide bonds among membrane skeletal proteins.