Independence of Mechanical Fragility and Red Blood Cell Age in the Rat ∗

Abstract

Summary

Whole blood of rats was subjected to a standardized amount of mechanical trauma (325 dynes/cm² for 2 min) after the production of cohorts of ⁵⁹Fe-labeled red blood cells, and the relative release of hemoglobin and ⁵⁹Fe from the red blood cells was determined. The results indicate that rat red blood cell susceptibility to mechanical hemolysis is independent of cell age.