[Kinetics of ethanol-induced lysis of human erythrocytes]

Hemolysis of human erythrocytes induced by the high ethanol concentrations involves several stages, which are reflected by the kinetic curves of hemolysis. These stages are of colloid-osmotic nature. Ethanol denaturation of membrane proteins and their subsequent aggregation can be responsible for appearance of defects, pores, in the erythrocyte membrane. About 15 ethanol molecules participate in formation of one pore. Sucrose weakly diffusing through the formed pores inhibits the ethanol-induced hemolysis of erythrocytes. On the contrary, the hyperosmotic contraction of erythrocytes in the NaCl- or KCl-containing medium increases the efficiency of the hemolysis. The maximum stability of the erythrocytes to the ethanol action is at the pH 7.2-7.3.