| Abstract: | Mechanical properties of erythrocyte membranes play an important role in red cell functions. Stability of human erythrocytes under deforming mechanical tensions which occur in the rapidly moving fluid is studied. The activation energy of the mechanical hemolysis determined by the temperature dependence of the hemolysis rate is 55 + 7 kJ/mol. The fragility of erythrocytes rises sharply as the salt concentrations increase. Glutaric dialdehyde forms a certain number of interprotein bonds which increase the fragility of erythrocytes. The mechanical stability of the erythrocyte membrane falls at high (0.5 M) ethanol concentrations. Blood plasma proteins, particularly human serum albumin, have a pronounced stabilizing effect. The hemolysis occurring during the rapid mixing is not probably associated with an osmotic mechanism since high sucrose concentrations do not prevent this process. The mechanical hemolysis depends both on the deforming tension arising in the membrane and on the state of the erythrocyte membrane. |
