Cold-induced hemolysis in a hypertonic milieu.

Suspension of human erythrocytes at 37 degrees C in an environment made hypertonic by increasing concentrations of sodium chloride and sucrose was followed by hemolysis when the temperature was lowered to 0 degrees C. Two distinct stages were involved in this hemolytic phenomenon, the first being incubation with hypertonic solute at some temperature above 20 degrees C with an increasing effect up to 45 degrees C, and the second stage consisting of lowering the temperature below 15 degrees C with increasing hemolysis down to 0 degrees C. The rate of cooling was not an important factor, but the presence of ions reduced the extent of cold-induced hemolysis in hypertonic sucrose. No significant release of membrane phospholipid and cholesterol accompanied this hemolysis. The solubilization of membrane protein components was investigated, with some differences appearing on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis between hypertonic and isotonic supernatants. Spectrin could not be identified in solubilized form. Correlation of the temperatures of note in these studies with results from the literature on other biological effects of temperature-induced phase transitions in membrane lipids strongly points to the conclusion that such transitions are involved in the mechanism of cold-induced hypertonic hemolysis. It is postulated that the hypertonic milieu has resulted in membrane-protein alteration damage which prevents normal adaption to the new physical state of the membrane lipids during cooling.