Membrane Vesiculation Induced by Amphiphiles

Abstract

Amphiphilic compounds, having the ability to alter the shape of erythrocytes, and to protect erythrocytes against hypotonic haemolysis, were studied for their ability to induce membrane vesiculation in human erythrocytes. About 40 amphiphilic compounds (including surfactants, bile salts, fatty acids, lysolecithin, phenothiazines, propanolol and benzyl alcohol) were studied. At a concentration where they exhibit maximum protection against hypotonic haemolysis, all the amphiphiles induced release of microvesicles from the membrane. Amphiphiles altering the shape of erythrocytes to sphero-echinocytes, induced a release of exovesicles, whereas amphiphiles altering the shape of erythrocytes to stomatocytes caused release of endovesicles. Some amphiphiles induced complex shape alterations by first causing sphero-echinocytes and then stomatocytes. These amphiphiles induced release of both exovesicles and endovesicles.