The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin
The mechanical stability and deformability of erythrocytes are vital for their function as they traverse capillaries, where shear stress can reach up to 10 Pa under physiological conditions. Human serum albumin (HSA) is known to help maintain erythrocyte stability by influencing cell shape, membrane...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic Milan Milivojevic Gregory Barshtein Alexander Gural |
| author_facet | Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic Milan Milivojevic Gregory Barshtein Alexander Gural |
| author_sort | Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic |
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| description | The mechanical stability and deformability of erythrocytes are vital for their function as they traverse capillaries, where shear stress can reach up to 10 Pa under physiological conditions. Human serum albumin (HSA) is known to help maintain erythrocyte stability by influencing cell shape, membrane integrity, and resistance to hemolysis. However, the precise mechanisms by which albumin exerts these effects remain debated, with some studies indicating a stabilizing role and others suggesting the opposite. This review highlights that under high shear rates, albumin molecules may undergo unfolding due to normal stress differences. Such structural changes can significantly alter albumin’s interactions with the erythrocyte membrane, thereby affecting cell mechanical stability. We discuss two potential scenarios explaining how albumin influences erythrocyte mechanics under shear stress, considering both the viscoelastic properties of blood and those of the erythrocyte membrane. Based on theoretical analyses and experimental evidence from the literature, we propose that albumin’s effect on erythrocyte mechanical stability depends on (i) the transition between unfolded and folded states of the protein and (ii) the impact of shear stress on the erythrocyte membrane’s ζ-potential. Understanding these factors is essential for elucidating the complex relationship between albumin and erythrocyte mechanics in physiological and pathological conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-17957556a6c84554845c7d26490b0cbc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj-art-17957556a6c84554845c7d26490b0cbc2025-08-20T04:00:54ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-07-011415113910.3390/cells14151139The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of AlbuminIvana Pajic-Lijakovic0Milan Milivojevic1Gregory Barshtein2Alexander Gural3Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Biochemistry, The Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, IsraelBlood Bank, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, IsraelThe mechanical stability and deformability of erythrocytes are vital for their function as they traverse capillaries, where shear stress can reach up to 10 Pa under physiological conditions. Human serum albumin (HSA) is known to help maintain erythrocyte stability by influencing cell shape, membrane integrity, and resistance to hemolysis. However, the precise mechanisms by which albumin exerts these effects remain debated, with some studies indicating a stabilizing role and others suggesting the opposite. This review highlights that under high shear rates, albumin molecules may undergo unfolding due to normal stress differences. Such structural changes can significantly alter albumin’s interactions with the erythrocyte membrane, thereby affecting cell mechanical stability. We discuss two potential scenarios explaining how albumin influences erythrocyte mechanics under shear stress, considering both the viscoelastic properties of blood and those of the erythrocyte membrane. Based on theoretical analyses and experimental evidence from the literature, we propose that albumin’s effect on erythrocyte mechanical stability depends on (i) the transition between unfolded and folded states of the protein and (ii) the impact of shear stress on the erythrocyte membrane’s ζ-potential. Understanding these factors is essential for elucidating the complex relationship between albumin and erythrocyte mechanics in physiological and pathological conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/15/1139unfolding of albuminextensional flowdiscocyte-to-stomatocyte transitionelectrostatic interactionshydrophobic interactionsblood viscoelasticity |
| spellingShingle | Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic Milan Milivojevic Gregory Barshtein Alexander Gural The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin Cells unfolding of albumin extensional flow discocyte-to-stomatocyte transition electrostatic interactions hydrophobic interactions blood viscoelasticity |
| title | The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin |
| title_full | The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin |
| title_fullStr | The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin |
| title_short | The Mechanical Properties of Erythrocytes Are Influenced by the Conformational State of Albumin |
| title_sort | mechanical properties of erythrocytes are influenced by the conformational state of albumin |
| topic | unfolding of albumin extensional flow discocyte-to-stomatocyte transition electrostatic interactions hydrophobic interactions blood viscoelasticity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/15/1139 |
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