Influence of shape stabilizing agents on the deformability and morphology of lysolecithin-treated erythrocytes

Normal biconcave erythrocytes were transformed by the lysolipid lysolecithin (1-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine, LPC) into spiculated and sphered corpuscles which had a normal viscosity at high shear rates despite their abnormal shape. The LPC induced a hitherto not identified metabolic process within the erythrocyte which depended on various factors as the Ca++-concentration, pH-value, and temperature of the suspending medium and which was advanced by guanosine or certain drugs as for instance moxaverine, a derivative of papaverine. This metabolic process normalized transiently the erythrocyte shape and deformability; but the cells started to become more viscous again during longer incubation though their shape remained normal. Because the shape of red cells correlated weakly with their deformability, it is suggested that measurements of the mechanical properties of erythrocytes should supplement the morphological studies in investigations of drugs which affect the red cell shape.