The antihaemolytic values (AHV) of the erythrocytes and plasma of experimental rabbits have been determined by the lysolecithin method. Oral administration of cholesterol resulted in hypercholesterolaemia; and the increase in plasma AHV paralleled the rise in free cholesterol in approximately a 1:1 molar ratio of lysolecithin to cholesterol. No changes in the erythrocytes were observed, other than a mild anaemia. Splenectomy followed by cholesterol feeding afforded essentially the same results. In the normal rabbit it is concluded that the free cholesterol contributes very little to the antihaemolytic value of the plasma. Repeated bleeding caused a hypercholesterolaemia, and an elevation of the plasma AHV which paralleled the free cholesterol. In the haemolytic anaemia caused by acetylphenylhydrazine injections, the chief findings were an increase in hypotonic fragility of the erythrocytes, and a decrease in the plasma AHV. In all the experiments the mean erythrocyte AHV varied with the size of the cells, but appeared to be otherwise unaffected by the experimental procedures.
The effect of three accelerators of hemolysis—acetylphenylhydrazine, 9-aminoacridine, and phenothiazone—upon protein and lipid monolayers has been examined. These compounds, in low concentration, cause marked expansion of monolayers of plasma albumin, but have no apparent effect upon cholesterol films. It is suggested that these accelerators may affect the protein component of the erythrocyte membrane, thus enhancing the action of hemolytic agents.
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