Hemolysis of individual red blood cells; an interferometer microscopic investigation

The hemolysis of 19 human and 8 sheep red blood cells was recorded on cinematographic pictures through a Cooke-Dyson interferometer microscope. From measurements on the film the fading of each cell was followed quantitatively. Results are presented from experiments on osmotic hemolysis, delayed hemolysis in a hypotonic glucose solution, immune body hemolysis and hemolysis caused by a photodynamic active substance (rose bengal). In all cases the principal results were the same:

• 1.1. The hemolysis of a red blood cell starts abruptly.
• 2.2. During the hemolysis of a red blood cell there is a continuous decrease of the velocity at which the hemoglobin leaves the cell.
• 3.3. At the beginning of hemolysis, the velocity at which hemoglobin leaves a red blood cell shows a rapid, nonlinear decrease when plotted as a function of the intracellular concentration of hemoglobin. Possible explanations to this nonlinear decrease are discussed and it is concluded that hemolysis is best explained by the occurrence of a high intracellular osmotic pressure which causes the abrupt onset of hemolysis and ejaculation of the cell content.