Effect of heat treatment on the elasticity of human erythrocyte membrane.

A parallel plate flow channel is employed to study the effect of heat treatment on the elasticity of human red cell membrane. An irreversible transition between 46 degrees C and 50 degrees C results in an approximately 200% increase in an elastic constant measured at 25 degrees C. This transition is attributable to irreversible protein denaturation which has been shown by other to occur at similar temperatures in calorimetric studies of red cell ghosts.