Hemolysis of erythrocytes and erythrocyte membrane fluidity changes by new lysosomotropic compounds

This work contains the results of studies on the influence of newly synthesized lysosomotropic substances (lysosomotropes) on human erythrocytes. Six homologous series of the compounds differing in the alkyl chain length and counterions were studied. They were found to hemolyse erythrocytes and to change their osmotic resistance. The observed hemolytic effects were dependent both on the compound's structure (polar head dimension and alkyl chain length of compound) and its form (the kind of the counterion). In parallel, the influence of lysosomotropes on fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane was studied. Three different fluorescent probes were used; 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), 1-(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, p-toluenesulfonate (TMA-DPH) and 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (laurdan). Their anisotropy (DPH and TMA-DPH) or general polarization (laurdan) values after incorporation into ghost erythrocyte membranes were measured. The results obtained show that fluidity changes accompanied the effects observed in hemolytic experiments both quantitatively and qualitatively.