Stoichiometry of compounds bound to human erythrocytes in relation to morphology.

Most work on human erythrocyte interaction with drugs and other compounds has been reported on the basis of total concentrations. Total concentrations alone do not reveal numbers of molecules bound per cell, v. This paper emphasizes determination of v and of binding isotherms, in conjunction with changes in cell morphologies and in hypotonic shock behavior as v is varied. Four drugs and five other compounds were studied, with fresh erythrocytes. The principal findings are: (1) the intact erythrocyte engages in two kinds of binding mechanisms, statistical binding and cooperative binding, depending on the compound. In the case of a detergent, dodecylbenzene sulfonate, the binding is nearly quantitative. (2) The compounds often induce considerable protection against hypotonic hemolysis. However, the binding levels at which maximum protection occurs are rather close to the levels, vL, that occur upon complete conversion to the first distorted morphology. Therefore, the maximally protected erythrocyte may be a distorted erythrocyte. (3) The value n is the apparent total number of sites from Scatchard plotting for compounds which bind in a statistical manner. Levels vp and vw characterize maxima in cooperative binding behavior, also from Scatchard plotting of the data. Despite the wide diversity of over-all levels at which compounds exert their effects, the critical binding levels of and numbers of sites fall into a narrow range:n, vL, vP, and vw are all between 1 and 8 times 10-7 molecules or sites per cell. Most of our data, and that from some other laboratories, indicate that about 2 plus and minus 1 times 10-7 sites per erythrocyte are available for compound binding by the intact cell. Beyond that level, the cell in suspension almost always will be forced into the first obvious morphology change, as seen by phase contrast microscopy. (4) Once stoichiometries are established, the total binding capacity of erythrocytes for such compounds, in blood, can be estimated. An intruding organic molecule would encounter about 6 times as many plasma albumin sites as erythrocyte sites, if the plasma albumin sites were free. However, because albumin in vivo usually forms a complex with one to two fatty acids, the erythrocyte itself is rather likely to act as a transport particle for such compounds.