MORPHOLOGICAL-CHANGES, HEMOLYSIS AND MICROVESICULARIZATION OF HEATED HUMAN-ERYTHROCYTES

1. 1.|A system for the controlled heating of erythrocytes on a microscope stage at temperatures from 30 to 90°C is described. 2. 2.|The influence of heating rate, proximity of boundaries, local liquid flow and mechanical shock on the type of morphological change observed at 49°C (the transition temperature of spectrin) was examined. 3. 3.|Cinephotomicrographs and scanning electon micrographs illustrate details of the fragmentation processes. 4. 4.|ATP pool size did not fall during heating. The diacylglycerol content of the membrane increased. 5. 5.|Cells protected against flow effects could be heated to 62°C before lysing. 6. 6.|Microvesicularization occurred on heating to temperatures in excess of 70°C. © 1979.