Peculiarities of the osmotic response in dehydrated erythrocytes

Human erythrocytes were dehydrated in concentrated sucrose solutions and rehydrated in isotonic NaCl solution. The osmotic responses of erythrocytes dehydrated in media with osmolarities over 1 M corresponded to the ideal osmotic behaviour. This was also true of the ghosts formed during rehydration of dehydrated erythrocytes irrespective of the initial osmolarity. Fresh erythrocytes as well as erythrocytes dehydrated in sucrose media with osmolarity of 0.5-0.6 M displayed nonideal responses (volume changes were lower than predicted). In contrast to the cells dehydrated at 0 degree C, the peculiarities of the osmotic response of the cells dehydrated within the osmolarity range of 0.7-0.8 M at 37 degrees C can be detected spectrophotometrically. The data obtained suggest that the nonideal osmotic response of human erythrocytes is probably due to a specific state of hemoglobin.