Antisickling effect of tellurite: a potent membrane-acting agent in vitro.

Potassium tellurite (K2TeO3) was found to be a potent antisickling agent that inhibited red cell sickling at concentrations less than 10 mumol/L. The inhibitory effect depended on the incubation time, with the effect increasing with longer incubation periods. Because tellurite causes swelling of red cells, and because the antisickling effect of tellurite correlated with the degree of red cell swelling, the antisickling effect of tellurite is assumed to be due to the decreased mean cell hemoglobin concentration. Swelling of red cells by tellurite was accelerated by the addition of reduced glutathione. Tellurite appears to be a new type of antisickling agent that interacts with the red cell membrane.