Hemolysis of Human Erythrocytes Induced by Glucose Solutions and Its Prevention

Abstract

Glucose injections are extensively employed for supplementing nutrients and body fluid. However, it was noted that when blood was mixed with 5% (isotonic) glucose solution prior to intravenous infusion, partial hemolysis was induced. In an attempt to clarify the mechanism of this hemolysis, the effect of glucose solution on human erythrocytes was studied in vitro. The incubation of erythrocytes with glucose below 4% produced a dramatic hemolysis and K+ loss, and with 5% glucose a partial hemolysis was induced accompanied with remarkable wrinkling of the cell surface and transformation, probably due to partial desalination of the cells by glucose. The erythrocytes treated with 5% glucose also showed significantly increased osmotic and heat fragility. The glucose-induced hemolysis was effectively prevented by the addition of NaCl above 0.5%; this presumably reduced the release of K+ and water from the cells. © 1986, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.