In vitro effects of an azo compound on the haemolysis and unsaturated fatty acids of red blood cells.

Human red blood cells were treated with 4,4'-azo-bis-(4-cyanovaleric acid) (0-27 x 10(-3) M) in order to determine the effect of the compound on red blood cell haemolysis and unsaturated fatty acids. Maximum haemolysis amounting to approximately 100%, occurred after 60 min incubation with 15 x 10(-3) M azo compound and did not change to any significant extent by increasing incubation time to 4 h. The azo compound caused a decrease in unsaturated fatty acids unrelated to the number of double bonds. The percentage loss of unsaturated fatty acids was 60-100. Therefore the present study reveals that incubation of red blood cells with 15 x 10(-3) M 4,4'-azo-bis-(4-cyanovaleric acid) for 1 h causes maximum haemolysis. Also the damaging effect of the compound on red blood cell unsaturated fatty acids is parallel to haemolysis. These results show that this compound might have relevance for pathophysiology of red blood cells.