In subjects with
essential hypertension we evaluated, respectively, the red
cell membrane protein lateral mobility (obtained marking intact red blood cells with
pyrene-3-
maleimide (3-PM)), the erythrocyte membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact erythrocytes with 10-(1-
pyrene)
decanoic acid), the red cell membrane transverse fluidity gradient (obtained marking intact red blood cells with a set of
fatty acid fluorescent probes (2-AP, 6-AS, 9-AS, 12-AS)), the platelet membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact and unstimulated platelets with 1,6-
diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and with 1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (
TMA-DPH)) and the polymorphonuclear membrane fluidity (obtained marking intact and unstimulated polymorphonuclear cells with
TMA-DPH). From the obtained data it is evident that: (1) red
cell membrane protein lateral mobility does not distinguish normals from hypertensives; (2) erythrocyte membrane fluidity and red cell membrane transverse fluidity gradient clearly discriminate normals from hypertensives; (3) platelet membrane fluidity differentiates normals from hypertensives only when DPH is used as
fluorescent probe; (4) polymorphonuclear membrane fluidity does not distinguish normals from hypertensives. Our results show that in
essential hypertension a different behaviour of the membrane dynamic properties in the circulating blood cells is evident.