Study of Optical and Nanostructural Metal-Induced Changes in Erythrocyte Membranes by Scattering and Atomic Force Microscopy

The surface topography of erythrocyte membranes is studied by atomic force microscopy. Differences in fine structure of membranes are found. The structure of profiles of erythrocyte membranes modified by metals is smoother compared to unmodified erythrocytes. The autocorrelation function of irregularity pro-files of erythrocyte membranes and its parameter (the correlation length) are informative parameters of the action of toxic metals on the erythrocyte membrane surface. The content of metal in an erythrocyte membrane is determined from optical investigations of a suspension of membranes subjected to the action of lead and zinc ions. It is revealed that the luminescence of erythrocyte membranes is enhanced compared to reference data. The absorption spectra of erythrocyte membranes in the range 325–740 nm are calculated from the diffuse transmission and reflection coefficients of samples taking into account their luminescence. The possibility of determining the content of metals in erythrocyte membranes from optical measurements is demonstrated.