Release of vitamin B12 from carrier erythrocytes in vitro.

Resealed erythrocyte ghosts (carrier erythrocytes) are potential in vivo carriers for exogenous enzymes or drugs, but data on carrier erythrocyte survival and clearance rate in humans are not available. We have measured the in vitro efflux of vitamin B12 encapsulated in human red cell by hypo-osmotic dialysis, as a preliminary for its use as a marker for in vivo human studies. Vitamin B12 was encapsulated into erythrocytes at a relative incorporation efficiency of 60%. In vitro hemolysis of carrier erythrocytes was minimal over 40 h, but vitamin B12 was rapidly lost from the cells, efflux t/2 was 5 h, presumably by diffusion through the intact cell membrane. Vitamin B12 (Vit B12) may, nevertheless, be a suitable marker for short-term human studies on carrier erythrocyte splanchnic clearance.