The effects of antibiotics on hemolytic behavior of red cells

Abstract

Human blood was sheared between rotating polyethylene disks and plasma hemoglobin measured at intervals to produce kinetic hemolysis curves (KHC), plotted as free hemoglobin concentration vs time. The KHC produced by blood samples incubated in the presence of penicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, and amikacin lie always below those for control samples, indicating a reduction in hemolysis; this reduction was greater as the drug concentration was increased. Explanations in terms of alterations in red cell structure were sought by several characterization tests of amikacin-loaded blood samples. Drug-localization studies demonstrated that significant fractions of the total dosage were associated with the red-cell membrane. Resistive pulse spectroscopy was used to show how amikacin affected cell size, deformability, and osmotic fragility; results were sensitive to storage age of the blood. In all cases, the effect of shearing was to reduce cell size, deformability, and osmotic fragility. Mechanisms for hemolytic protection by drugs are proposed.

Changes in shear-induced hemolysis due to blood additives: synthetic biopolymers and asthma drugs

“…Related observations in the literature are discussed elsewhere (Lijana and Williams, 1986). The protective effect of theophylline, like that of the antibiotics, is no doubt related to loading of cell membranes with the drug.…”

“…The ranking parameters, e and E, for the incubated bloods in all tests are given in Table I. Spectra on cell size distributions resemble those presented in the full antibiotic study (Lijana and Williams, 1986) and thus will not be given here. Spectra on cell size distributions resemble those presented in the full antibiotic study (Lijana and Williams, 1986) and thus will not be given here.…”

“…Table I shows that plasma levels as high as 350 pg/mL above physiological levels had no effect whatever on the hemolytic properties of either old or fresher blood. The latter study was probably based upon insufficient sampling and possibly (Lijana and Williams, 1986). The latter study was probably based upon insufficient sampling and possibly (Lijana and Williams, 1986).…”

“…Why Poly-C should offer protection at all is not immediately evident, but it was shown (Lijana and Williams, 1986) that protective antibiotics moved strongly to erythrocyte membranes. It is also possible that the carboxylic oxygen on its pyrimidine ring makes it too hydrophilic to pierce the lipid membrane or perhaps too tightly hydrogen bonded internally to extend into a helix configuration to create a pore.…”

“…Prior to shearing, blood samples were warmed to room temperature over about 30 min and then loaded into the room-temperature disk device as described elsewhere (Lijana and Williams, 1986). Polymer adsorption on the disk face and rim was verified by staining.…”