A kinetics study of pig erythrocyte hemolysis induced by polyene antibiotics.

The kinetics of the hemolysis induced by filipin is of the damage type, indicating the formation of large nonselective perforations of erythrocyte membranes. The process is relatively independent of the ionic composition of the incubation medium, and the differences between the hemolysis induced by filipin in pig and human erythrocytes are not significant. In a sucrose medium, filipin-induced hemolysis is inhibited in humans, whereas it is stimulated in pig erythrocytes. It is suggested that low ionic strength is the reason for the different modifications of complexation of filipin in pig and human erythrocyte membranes in a sucrose medium. The kinetics of the hemolysis induced in pig erythrocytes by amphotericin B and nystatin is of the permeability type, indicating the formation of selective channels in erythrocyte membranes and colloid osmotic hemolysis. The rate of the hemolysis, which is high in a KCl medium, is decreased in all the other media tested (CaCl2, MgCl2, potassium phosphate buffer, K2SO4, sucrose), although there are no changes in the kinetics of hemolysis. The results are interpreted as the formation of highly selective channels at a low concentration of the antibiotics. At increasing concentrations, channels of decreasing selectivity occur. The resistances of pig erythrocytes to amphotericin B and nystatin are lower than those of human erythrocytes.