The study of the effect of carbon nanotubes with different structure on the microviscosity and integrity of erythrocyte membranes using a spin probe method

Abstract

Using a spin probe method, microviscosity values have been evaluated for erythrocyte membranes in the presence of carbon nanotubes with different structure features in the course of a short (4 h) and prolonged (24 h) incubation period. According to the ESR spectra of lipophilic nitroxyl radicals in the membrane of erythrocytes, correlation time value for the rotational diffusion of the probes in membranes was determined to be proportional to the viscosity of the lipid bilayer thereof. In the case of prolonged incubation, an ability to a 1.5-2-fold increase in the erythrocyte cellular membrane microviscosity is inherent in all investigated nanotubes. The ability of carbon nanotubes to influence the microviscosity of erythrocyte membranes depends on the size of the tubes and the surface chemistry thereof. Hydrophilic (oxidized) multi-walled nanotubes exert the greatest effect. Hydrophobic multi-walled nanotubes and their fragments exert a lesser effect, whereas single-walled nanotubes are characterized by the weakest effect exerted on erythrocyte membranes among carbon nanoparticles under investigation.