Effect of Progesterone and Its 17α-Hydroxyl Derivative on Human Erythrocyte Membrane

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Abstract
Effect of progesterone and 17.alpha.-hydroxyprogesterone on human erythrocyte membrane was investigated by three methods. (1) Prompt hemolysis test: Progesterone progressively reduced the membrane fragility at the concentration of 1.25 .times. 10-5-2.0 .times. 10-4 M, but 17.alpha.-hydroxyprogesterone had almost no effect. (2) Continuous MCV analysis: When erythrocytes were transferred into 0.9 (w/v) % NaCl solution without progesterone after incubation with 0.5 M d-glucose for 2 hr at 37.degree. C, erythrocytes markedly expanded up to about 140 .mu.m3 and subsequently returned to nearly the original volume (about 95 .mu.m3) within 30-40 sec. Progesterone reduced the reversibility of expanded erythrocytes at the concentration of 1.25 .times. 10-5-1.0 .times. 10-4 M. 17.alpha.-Hydroxyprogesterone had little effect on the reversibility. (3) Scanning electron microscopy: After incubation in isotonic buffered saline solution without progesterone for 12 hr at 37.degree. C, most of the erythrocytes were transformed from discocytes to echinocytes and sphero-echinocytes (echinocytes + sphero-echinocytes, > 80%). Progesterone (5.0 .times. 10-5 and 1.0 .times. 10-4 M) inhibited this transformation, so that a greater number of erythrocytes remained as discocytes than in the control. Moreover, at higher concentration of progesterone, stomatocytes emerged prominently (1.0 .times. 10-4 M progesterone), followed by the increase in spherocytes (2.0 .times. 10-4 M). 17.alpha.-Hydroxyprogesterone, however, merely prevented the echinocytic progress from I to II or III at the concentration of 5.0 .times. 10-5-2.0 .times. 10-4 M and slightly increased the number of discocytes at the higher concentration (2.0 .times. 10-4 M). Therefore, progesterone has a direct and prompt effect on the erythrocyte membrane, and it seems to be inserted into the inner half of the membrane bilayer.