Hemolysis of rat erythrocytes by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide

Abstract

Rat erythrocytes prepared as a 0.1% suspension were incubated at 37.5 °C, and the course of hemolysis was followed by either measuring the hemoglobin released to the medium or by recording the optical density of the suspension. The response of the cells to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PMB), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), sodium glycocholate, glutathione, and glucose—either singly or in combination with each other—was observed. The results suggested that PMB hemolysis at low concentrations is the result of its sulfhydryl activity only because this reagent is capable of first releasing SH groups, and that the nonhemolytic effect of NEM is due to its inability to release such reactive SH groups.