Dextran sulfate (DS) belongs to the group of polysaccharides with diverse therapeutic activities. One of the most important function of DS is the anticoagulation effect, causing the reduction of the red blood cell (RBC) aggregation in bloodstream. Due to this property such biopolymer can be used in pharmaceutical therapy as blood plasma substitute [1-3]. It appears that a significant role in the therapeutic efficacy of DS is its effects on the erythrocyte membranes. Although the biophysical properties of DS are studied rather well little is known about consequences of their association with natural lipid membranes. Therefore a study of DS influence on the model erythrocyte membrane is of particular importance.
The aim of the present work was to examine the effect of DS on the lipid organization at the air-water interface. It was possible by analyzing physicochemical properties of Langmuir monolayers, treated as the simplest model of a half of a biological membrane. The analysis of obtained results clearly demonstrates selective influences of examined biopolymer on molecular interactions within model biological membrane.
[1] M. Naessens, A. Cerdobbel, W. Soetaert, E. J. Vandamme, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 80 (2005) 845.
[2] J. K. Armstrong, R. B. Wenby, H. J. Meiselman, T. C. Fisher, Biophysical Journal 87 (2004) 4259.
[3] T. D. Leathers, Biopolymers, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2002.
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