WATER DISTRIBUTION IN BLOOD DURING SICKLING OF ERYTHROCYTES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (4) , 703-709
Abstract
Plasma urea and protein determinations proved suitable for measuring changes in total diffusible water and plasma volume in whole [human] blood. Deoxygenation by saturation with with CO2 at 25.degree. C caused no change in plasma urea, but a significant increase in plasma protein concentration was induced with normal and sickle-cell (HbSS) blood. In HbSS blood there was no binding or trapping of water as a result of sickling and there was a normal influx of water into the cells (Bohr effect) despite the polymerization of the Hb molecules with sickling. The deoxygenation induced a similar increase in concentration of the plasma cations, Na+ plus K+. HbSS erythrocytes neither lost nor gained water under the more physiologic conditions of deoxygenation with a 95% Na, 5% CO2 gas mixture.