Experimental variations in sonic fragility of red cells.

A magnetostriction oscillator has been used for determining the relative fragility of human red cells to 9000 cycle vibrations under some different environmental conditions. The destruction of the cells is a logarithmic function of time according to the equation See PDF for Equation. Hypertonic saline solution, saponin, preheating, alcohol, and ether in subhemolytic concentrations decrease the fragility of human red cells subjected to sonic oscillation. Hypotonic saline, preheating to 50 degrees C. for 3 minutes, and hemolytic concentrations of ether increase the fragility of red cells to 9 kc. vibrations. Following preheating of the cells, and in the presence of saponin the destruction deviates slightly from a true logarithmic rate of hemolysis.