Membranolytic effects of monosodium urate monohydrate: influence of grinding.

The effect of grinding on the membranolytic interaction between monosodium urate monohydrate (MSUM) crystals and intact erythrocyte membranes was studied. Crystals were ground for between 1-72 h, and percent hemolysis and zeta potentials determined. A cationic amphiphilic probe (CAT12) was incorporated into the erythrocyte membrane and incubated with MSUM. Increasing grinding times caused a decrease in both the crystallinity and zeta potential of the samples, a decrease in percent hemolysis values and a change in the distribution of free and bound spin label populations. The probe redistribution is thought to be due to an electrostatic interaction between negatively charged MSUM and the CAT12 probe.