IRON RELEASE, LIPID-PEROXIDATION, AND MORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS OF ERYTHROCYTES EXPOSED TO ACROLEIN AND PHENYLHYDRAZINE

Iron is released in a free [desferrioxamine (DFO)-chelatable] form in mouse erythrocytes incubated with the oxidizing agents acrolein and ph enylhydrazine or in erythrocytes drawn from allyl alcohol-intoxicated mice. The release is accompanied by peroxidation of membrane lipids wh en the cells are depleted of glutathione. Lipid peroxidation is always followed by the lysis of the cells. The release of iron is also accom panied by methemoglobin formation, but the extent of the release does not correlate with the level of methemoglobin production. The addition of DFO to the incubation mixture or the preincubation of the erythroc ytes with DFO in millimolar concentrations completely prevents both li pid peroxidation and hemolysis while not significantly changing the le vel of iron release. Morphological studies carried out with scanning e lectron microscopy showed a number of alterations in the shape of the incubated erythrocytes, including echinocyte transformation and the ap pearance of codocyte, stomatocyte, and cnizocyte like forms. These alt erations were more prominent with increasing lipid peroxidation and he molysis, even if occurring in their absence. On the contrary, the appe arance of pits and holes was strictly associated with lipid peroxidati on and lysis. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.