Dehydroascorbic acid and cell membranes: possible disruptive effects.

Exposure of cellular membranes to dehydroascorbic acid can result in a loss of membrane integrity. Renal brush border or basolateral membrane vesicles pre-incubated with dehydroascorbic acid demonstrate a decrease in initial transport rates of D-glucose and a loss of intravesicular volume. The activity of brush border membrane specific leucine aminopeptidase is increased in vesiculated membrane preparations following exposure of the vesicles to either dehydroascorbic acid or Triton X-100. Erythrocytes in isotonic buffer with dehydroascorbic acid lose membrane integrity as demonstrated by a release of hemoglobin.