抄録
Hemolytic effect of glycerol was investigated in vivo and in vitro in human red cells. After administration of glycerol in vivo, the increase of plasma free hemoglobin concentration was observed concomitant to the decrease of red cell membrane lipids. The lipids at the outer surface (free cholesterol, phosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin) were decreased markedly more than those at the inner surface (phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl serine), dependent on the concentrations of glycerol used. The findings observed in vivo were verified by the in vitro experiments. To prevent the glycerol induced hemolysis, the compound should be infused at the rate of less than 3.3 ml/hour/kg with the interval longer than 6 hours in each infusion.
On the other hand, the abnormal Heinz body formation with acetylphenyl hydrazine (the Beutler's method) was observed in these red cells incubated with glycerol. Glycerol itself did not affect the hemoglobin metabolism and also the activities of glycolytic enzymes. It is most likely that glycerol induces the red cell membrane lipid abnormalities at the outer leaflets which will cause the increased permeability of acetylphenyl hydrazine, resulting the increase of Heinz body formation in the normal red cells incubated with glycerol.
