Membrane fluidity and myotonia: effects of cholesterol and desmosterol on erythrocyte membrane fluidity in rats with 20,25-diazacholesterol-induced myotonia and on phospholipid liposomes. Biosci Rep 1984 Feb;4(2):115-20
Date
02/01/1984Pubmed ID
6713083DOI
10.1007/BF01120307Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0021242159 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 7 CitationsAbstract
Previous spin-label and electromyographic experiments with rats fed 20,25-diazacholesterol, an inhibitor of the biosynthetic conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol, demonstrated an increased erythrocyte membrane fluidity and myotonia, a prolonged muscle contraction upon stimulation. The current studies with rats showed normal erythrocyte fluidity in animals fed 20,25-diazacholesterol but maintained on a high-cholesterol diet and no myotonia. Studies of model membrane systems composed of phospholipid vesicles containing desmosterol, cholesterol, or both demonstrated that desmosterol increased membrane lipid fluidity relative to cholesterol, suggesting that in 20,25-diazacholesterol-induced myotonia, in which desmosterol accounts for 85% of the plasma sterol, the increased membrane fluidity previously observed in erythrocytes and sarcolemma in this animal model of human congenital myotonia may be due to desmosterol.
Author List
Ashraf J, Feix JB, Butterfield DAAuthor
Jimmy B. Feix PhD Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsAzacosterol
Cholesterol, Dietary
Desmosterol
Disease Models, Animal
Erythrocyte Membrane
Liposomes
Male
Membrane Fluidity
Myotonia
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
