Membrane sialic acid and behaviour in vivo of rabbit "stress" macroreticulocytes

Membranes of rabbit reticulocytes obtained by phenylhydrazine stimulation have a chemical composition different from that of normal erythrocytes; sialic acid/protein and cholesterol/protein ratios are in fact lower than normal. In vivo study of 51Cr-labelled reticulocytes show that these cells are quickly removed from blood and, after a short "homing" in liver, return to peripheral blood. During "homing" in the liver, the sialic acid/protein ratio seems to increase.