Microcalorimetric measurements of heat production in human erythrocytes. IV. Comparison between different calorimetric techniques, suspension media, and preparation methods.

Heat production in human erythrocytes from healthy subjects has been measured under different experimental conditions. Simultaneous measurements were made on the same samples using different types of microcalorimeters: a static ampoule calorimeter, an air perfusion calorimeter, and a flow calorimeter. Obtained heat effect values for specified standard conditions, P degrees, were within uncertainty limits the same for the different calorimeters. Cells were suspended either in autologous plasma or in a phosphate buffer. P degrees values for buffer suspensions were significantly higher than those for plasma suspensions. Erythrocyte samples prepared by the column adsorption technique gave higher P degrees values than those obtained by a conventional centrifugation procedure.