Osmotic lysis of erythrocytes in relation to the zinc concentration of the medium.

The influence of various zinc concentrations on the osmotic resistance of erythrocytes was studied in six normal adults. Sodium chloride solutions ranging from 0.1% to 0.7% were prepared, each containing 0 microgram % zinc, 50 microgram % zinc, 100 microgram % zinc, 500 microgram %, and 1000 microgram % zinc. Heparin-stabilized venous blood was added to the various solutions at 25 degrees C, and the degree of haemolysis (erythrolysis) after 1 h was determined by measurement of the absorbance at 540 nm. Neither the absence, nor the presence of relatively high zinc concentrations were found to influence the degree of haemolysis. The results indicate that haemolytic anaemia which was observed in zinc-deficient patients is not due to a zinc-dependent change in the osmotic resistance of erythrocytes.