The effect of histochrome on the osmotic resistance of red blood cells in the in vitro and in vivo experiments

The aim of the study was to examine the in vitro and in vivo effects of histochrome on membrane stabilization. The membranestabilizing effects of histochrome were studied in red blood cell by using the model of osmotic hemolysis. The solutions with different osmolarity were applied in 10mOsm/L intervals: the decreasing osmotic concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) ranged from 190 to 100 mOsm/L. In the in vitro experiments, the effects of histochrome were studied with the initial concentrations of this compound (1.0, 0.1 and 0.01 microM/L). In the in vivo experiments, two groups of Wistar rats (n=15) received subcutaneous injections with histochrome in daily doses of 10 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg during 10 days. The control group included intact healthy animals (n=19). The study showed that the in vitro treatment with histochrome in concentrations of 0.1 and 0.01 microM/L slightly potentiated hemolysis. The administration of histochrome injections was associated with a dosedependent increase in the osmotic resistance of red blood cells. The highest membrane stabilizing effect of the studied compound was documented in rats treated with 10mg/kg histochrome. The differential effect of histochrome in the in vitro and in vivo experiments may suggest that this compound affects permeability of the cell membrane via several mechanisms. Some potentiation of hemolysis in the first instance is likely caused by the direct effect of echinochrome on cell membranes. In the second instance, the dosedependent increase in the osmotic resistance of red blood cells results from modulation of the endogenous membranetropic mechanisms.