Fig. 9

Effect of MβCD on membrane ghosts of normal and sickle erythrocytes (fixed by glutaraldehyde after MβCD treatment). A, B Membrane ghosts from normal erythrocytes. C, D Membrane ghosts from sickle erythrocytes. (A) AFM topographical image of a local surface (2 μm × 2 μm) enlarged from an untreated ghost (inset). B AFM topographical images of the MβCD-treated ghosts (left, ~ 12 μm × 12 μm) and a local surface (right, 2 μm × 2 μm). C AFM topographical image of a local surface (2 μm × 2 μm) enlarged from an untreated ghost (inset). D AFM topographical images of the MβCD-treated ghosts (left, ~ 12 μm × 12 μm) and a local surface (right, 2 μm × 2 μm). E Height profiles of the cross sections across entire ghosts from normal or sickle cells with or without treatment. (MβCD). F Quantitative analysis of average height of ghosts in two layers (n = 50). G Quantitative analysis of surface roughness (Sa) of ghosts (n = 25). The ghosts were treated with 0.8 mM MβCD for 1 h at 37 °C. The white arrows in B and D indicate the creases on ghosts treated by MβCD. The white asterisks in D indicate the large pits with a diameter of ~250–500 nm (231.8 ± 20.4 nm; n = 20 cells) in ghosts treated by MβCD. Statistical significance is indicated as follows:*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. The marks N and S represent the normal and sickle cell samples, respectively in F and G