EFFECTS OF SOME S‐ALKYLTHIOURONIUMS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS ON THE OSMOTIC FRAGILITY AND THE MEMBRANE EXPANSION OF HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES

• Published in: British journal of pharmacology Vol. 71; no. 1; pp. 253 - 258
• Main Authors: BERESFORD, ROSEMARY A., FASTIER, F.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.1980; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Chlorpromazine - pharmacology; Erythrocyte Membrane - drug effects; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Hemolysis - drug effects; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Osmotic Fragility - drug effects; Procaine - pharmacology; Thiourea - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0007-1188; 1476-5381
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1980.tb10933.x

1 Changes in the osmotic fragility and critical haemolytic volume of human erythrocytes produced by S‐n‐decylthiouronium (S‐10) and related compounds have been studied. 2 S‐10 had a biphasic action on osmotic fragility, protecting erythrocytes against lysis in low concentrations but producing lysis in a concentration of 1 mm or higher. 3 Some lower homologues of S‐10 also protected erythrocytes against osmotic lysis, the degree of protection depending on the length of the alkyl chain. 4 Critical haemolytic volume was increased by anthihaemolytic concentrations of procaine and chlorpromazine but not by antihaemolytic concentrations of S‐10 and related amidines. 5 It is concluded that S‐10 and its near homologues penetrate and stabilize erythrocyte membranes, potency increasing with the number of methylene groups in the side‐chain up to about ten. The stabilization produced by S‐10 apparently differs from that produced by many other lipid‐soluble depressant drugs. It may be related to a drug‐induced change in the ionic permeability of the membrane.