Electrical and morphological changes of human erythrocytes under high hydrostatic pressure followed by dielectric spectroscopy

The electrical and morphological properties of human erythrocytes under high hydrostatic pressure up to 500 MPa have been studied by dielectric spectroscopy. The pressure-induced changes in the dielectric behavior of erythrocyte suspensions indicate that hydrostatic pressure causes the change in cell shape from discoidal to spherical and hemolysis at 200-300 MPa, the formation of buds and spicular processes followed by vesiculation at 300-400 MPa, and the increase in the membrane capacitance at 400-500 MPa. (C) 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society. [S0090-6964(99)00204-0].