The effect of RES blockade on red blood cell survival.

The effect of RES blockade on the survival of heat-damaged and antibody coated red blood cells was evaluated in C3H mice. RES function of C3H mice was determined by the survival of 59Fe-labeled, heat-damaged red blood cells at 49 degrees C for 30 min. When animals were treated with an intravenous injection of non-labeled, heat-damaged red blood cells for the blockade of RES, red blood cell destruction was depressed in non-splenectomized and splenectomized mice. In the survival or organ distribution of 59Fe-labeled, antibody-coated red blood cells, no difference was noted between animals with and without blockade. These findings suggest that heat-damaged red blood cells were destructed predominantly in the splenic RES and antibody coated cells were not broken down only by the splenic RES.