Effect of blood reticulocyte concentration on electrophoretic mobility of erythrocytes in rats.

In intact rats electrokinetic characteristics of erythrocytes weakly depended on the intensity of erythropoiesis. This dependence became significant when the degree of erythropoiesis approached the upper limit of variations. Electrophoretic mobility of erythrocytes progressively decreased with increasing blood reticulocyte count. Subpopulations of erythrocytes with low mobility in electric field accumulated in the blood. Our results indicate that erythrocytes whose electrokinetic potential is similar to the mean mobility of circulating cells migrate from the bone marrow into the circulation under normal conditions.