ABSTRACT
The microviscosity of biological membranes appears to represent the mobility of their lipid molecules. This, in turn, affects the mobility of the mosaic of protein molecules within the membrane bilayer. Several approaches are available for the determination of membrane microviscosity, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron spin resonance (ESR), and fluorescence polarization. The organization of lipid in biomembranes is complex and heterogeneous. Among the available approaches, studying the effect of lipid microviscosity on cellular function is one of the best approaches for understanding the mechanisms of membrane processes. Changes in lipid fluidity may modulate the expression of plasma membrane-mediated cellular functions by altering the degree of exposure and rotational and lateral mobility of membrane proteins. The changes produced by exposure to alcohols on prostatic membranes lipid microviscosity expressed both as the measured values of steady-state polarization and calculated values of the microviscosity parameter.
