Membrane actions of daunorubicin in mammalian erythrocytes

Fresh erythrocytes from unanesthetized beagles, rhesus monkeys, rabbits and mice have increased susceptibility to hypotonic lysis after incubation for 30 minutes with high concentrations of daunorubicin. The effect is biphasic in that lower concentrations of drug decrease lytic susceptibility. EDTA diminishes the susceptibility of cells to lysis after treatment with the drug. Red cells from humans and from Sprague-Dawley rats may show either increased or decreased susceptibility to hypotonic lysis; these diverse reactions are proportional to relative fragility and reflect individual variation in the case of human cells and possibly other factors in animal cells. The species-specific and individualistic hemolytic responses suggest possible membrane sites of action for this class of drugs.