Erythrocyte membrane heterogeneity studied using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene fluorescence lifetime distribution.

The fluorescence decay of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene has been used to characterize the structural organization of erythrocyte membranes. At 37 degrees C a large fraction of the decay (0.96) is associated with a lifetime value of 11.31 ns, while a minor fraction has a short lifetime of 2.63 ns. The distribution analysis approach has shown that the 11 ns component can be described using a Lorentzian distribution function having a full width at half maximum of 0.27 ns. The width of this component is associated with the membrane structural organization since liposomes from erythrocyte total lipid extract exhibit a narrower width. Moreover the distribution width is sensitive to different treatments of erythrocyte membrane.