Effects of plasma proteins on the dehydroabietic acid-induced red cell breakdown.

Since red cell hemolysis may play a role in the development of jaundice in fishes exposed to resin acids, we studied the effects of dehydroabietic acid (DHAA) on rainbow trout red cells in vitro. In incubations with physiological saline DHAA caused red cell breakdown at concentrations above 5 mg/liter within 24 hr. In plasma incubations red cell breakdown was observed only after 48 hr at concentration of 240 mg/liter, and DHAA at concentrations of 60 and 120 mg/liter dissolved lipids from red cell membranes within 24-48 hr. In addition, no changes were seen in 6 hr in red cell function when cells were treated in plasma with 210 mg DHAA/liter. The addition of albumin to saline incubations markedly reduced hemolysis and showed that the protection against DHAA in plasma results from binding of DHAA to plasma proteins.