Hydergine and vincamine derivative LD 4298 exhibit no anti-sickling properties in vitro

Amongst the treatments proposed for Sickle Cell disease Ergot derivatives and extracts from Pervinca have been proposed. We have studied in vitro the effect of Hydergine and LD 4298 on Sickle Cells and Sickle Hemoglobin according to the following four parameters : percentage of sickling, potassium leak, minimum gelation concentration and speed of gelation. In these studies no anti-sickling effect was detected. Moreover Hydergine at 50 microgram/ml increased spontaneous potassium loss without any anti-sickling effect. One can conclude that these two drugs have no effect on sickling.