A 56-year-old man who drinks a six-pack of beer a day, with higher alcoholic intake on weekends, holidays, and “special days,” presents to the internal medicine clinic. He has an abnormal plasma lipoprotein profile. It is known that erythrocyte fluidity is altered in liver disease. Which of the following would increase membrane fluidity in the hepatocytes of this patient’s liver?
A.
Restriction of rotational movement of proteins and lipids in the membrane
B.
Transbilayer movement of phospholipids in the plasma membrane
C.
Increased cholesterol/phospholipids ratio in the plasma membrane
D.
Binding of integral membrane proteins with cytoskeletal elements
E.
Binding of an antibody to a cell-surface receptor