Preservation of deformability (filterability) of sickle cells by BW12C during progressive deoxygenation

Venous blood from patients with sickle-cell disease in the steady state or in crisis was progressively deoxygenated in vitro to study the effect of BW12C, a new compound designed to stabilize haemoglobin in the oxy-conformation, on the deformability (filterability) of washed erythrocytes. At a final concentration of 1.5 mM, BW12C significantly increased erythrocyte deformability, compared with no added compound, at all levels of deoxygenation below normal arterial PO2. At concentrations of 3.0 and 5.0 mM, BW12C prevented any significant reduction of erythrocyte deformability, or increase in sickled cells, with deoxygenation down to PO2 values below the normal venous level. These in vitro results demonstrate the considerable potential, as an anti-sickling agent, of this novel compound.