Search

1. A centrifugal packing technique has been used to investigate the effect of incubation on the flexibility of erythrocytes containing normal (Hb A) or sickle-cell (Hb S) haemoglobin. The effects on cell morphology and on the reversibility of morphological changes were also investigated. 2. The two types of cell reacted similarly to incubation. Sickling of the Hb S-cells was shown not to be responsible for the production of irreversibly deformed cells in these circumstances. 3. It is concluded that for both cell types the membrane inflexibility, cellular deformation and morphological irreversibility induced by the incubation were due to metabolic depletion.

1. A rapid-reaction apparatus was used to measure the rate at which cells containing sickle-cell haemoglobin (HbS) undergo morphological changes as a result of very rapid deoxygenation. The events occurring under these circumstances were found to take place in two stages. 2. The first consisted of a very rapid gelation of the cellular haemoglobin producing bizarre-shaped erythrocytes. The rate of this process was determined by the rate of cellular deoxygenation. Starting at 100% HbO2 there was, however, a delay of about 30 ms corresponding to the time of formation of the minimum amount of Hb to allow sickling to occur. 3. The second stage was very much slower and resulted in the cells gradually acquiring the more usual holly-leaf and sickle-forms. 4. It was also possible to show with this apparatus that formalin is an extremely rapid fixative. Cells mixed with this solution became fixed within 14 ms.