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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Ex Vivo Red Blood Cell Hemolysis Assay for the Evaluation of pH-responsive Endosomolytic Agents for Cytosolic Delivery of Biomacromolecular Drugs
Published on: March 9, 2013
THE ESCAPE OF HEMOGLOBIN FROM THE RED CELL DURING HEMOLYSIS
1The Biological Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, and the Department of Biology, Washington Square College, New York University, New York.
Abstract:
By means of measurements from cinematograph films of the time taken for human red cells to lose hemoglobin while hemolyzing, it is shown that small concentrations of saponin bring about a relatively small permeability of the cell membrane to the pigment, whereas large concentrations so destroy the membrane that the theoretical time for loss of pigment through a completely permeable membrane (0.16 second) is very nearly attained. These results are in agreement with those obtained from electrical measurements, and the dependence of permeability on lysin concentration can be explained on the basis of what is known about the rate of transformation of lysin as it reacts with the cell envelope. When cells are hemolyzed by hypotonic solutions, on the other hand, the permeability of the membrane to pigment is nearly constant, irrespective of the tonicity used to bring about lysis.
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