Liposomes alter thermal phase behavior and composition of red blood cell membranes

Unilamellar liposomes composed of natural phospholipids provide a new promising class of protective agents for hypothermic storage, cryopreservation, or freeze-drying of red blood cells (RBCs). In this study, FTIR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF MS, and colorimetric assays were used to investigate the effects of liposomes composed of a homologous series of linear saturated phosphatidylcholine phospholipids (18:0; 16:0; 14:0; 12:0) on RBC membranes. RBCs were incubated with liposomes at 37 °C and both the liposomal and the RBC fraction were analyzed after incubation. FTIR studies showed that liposomes composed of short acyl chain length lipids cause an increase in RBC membrane conformational disorder at suprazero temperatures, whereas long acyl chain length lipids were found to have little effects. The increased lipid conformational disorder in the RBC membranes coincided with a decrease in the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio. The opposite effects were found in the liposomes after incubation with RBCs. MALDI-TOF MS analysis showed the presence of short acyl chain length lipids (14:0 and 12:0) in RBC membranes after incubation, which was not observed after incubation with liposomes containing long acyl chain length lipids (18:0 and 16:0). Liposomes alter RBC membrane properties by cholesterol depletion and lipid addition.