Resumos Dos Artigos Publicados Na Revista Portuguesa De Hemorreologia E Journal of Blood Rheology

The (Ca + , Mg 2+ ) ATPase activity, the membrane fluidity, the total phospholipid contents and the individual phospholipids, phophatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphotidylinositol (PI) and sphingomyelin (SM) were determined in red blood cell membranes of 54 patients with essential hypertension (31 treated, THP, and 14 untreated, UHP) and compared with 25 apparently healthy and normotensive subjects. The total membrane phospholipids were significantly reduced in both groups (p<0.01 in UHP and p<0.001 in THP). The SM, LPC and PI levels were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.002, p<0.005 and p<0.01. respectively). However, PE was significantly reduced (p<0.01) in the UHP.SM and PE were significantly reduced (p<0.001) and increased (p<0.03), respectively in erythrocyte membrane in THP. A significant increase of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ATPase (p<0.05 in UHP and p<0.001 in THP) and of fluorescence polarization (p<0.001 for both groups) was observed, when compared with the controls. These results may confirm the existence of localized membrane lesions in red cells of hypertensive subjects. These abnormalities could explain some rheological disturbances that have been associated with primary hypertension.