Effect of antibody and complement on permeability control in ascites tumor cells and erythrocytes.

Rabbit antibody + complement alters the permeability properties of mouse Krebs ascites tumor cells and erythrocytes. When antibody + C' acts on ascites tumor cells in a low protein medium, intracellular K(+) is lost from the cells at a rate far greater than the normal leak rate. At the same time the cells lose amino acids and ribonucleotides and become fully permeable to the Na(+) of the medium. When antibody + C' acts in a low protein medium, the cells swell extensively and lose most of their macromolecules to the medium (hemoglobin from erythrocytes, protein and RNA from the ascites tumor cells). If the antibody + C' acts in a medium containing protein in sufficient concentration to balance the colloid osmotic pressure of the cells, the swelling is prevented; no macromolecules are then lost from the cells, but the loss of K(+) and entrance of Na(+) are not altered, and the loss of amino acids and ribonucleotides is only slightly affected. It therefore appears that the action of antibody + C' is to produce functional "holes" in the animal cell membrane which permit the equilibration of cations and small molecules between cell and medium. This leads to an increase in the osmotic pressure of the cell and a rapid influx of water. The cell membrane and its "holes" are thereby stretched, permitting macromolecules to escape from the cell.