Efflux of Red Cell Water into Buffered Hypertonic Solutions

Abstract

Buffered NaCl solutions hypertonic to rabbit serum were prepared and freezing point depressions of each determined after dilution with measured amounts of water. Freezing point depression of these dilutions was a linear function of the amount of water added. One ml. of rabbit red cells was added to each 4 ml. of the hypertonic solutions and after incubation at 38 degrees C. for 30 minutes the mixture was centrifuged and a freezing point depression determined on the supernatant fluid. The amount of water added to the hypertonic solutions by the red cells was calcuated from this freezing point depression. For each decrease in the freezing point of -0.093 degrees C. of the surrounding solution red cells gave up approximately 5 ml. of water per 100 ml. of red cells in the range of -0.560 to -0.930 degrees C. Beyond -0.930 degrees C. the amount of water given up by 100 ml. of red cells fits best a parabolic equation. The maximum of this equation occurred at a freezing point of the hypertonic solution of -2.001 degrees C. at which time the maximum amount of water leaving the red cells would be 39.9 ml. per 100 ml. of red cells. The data suggest that only about 43 per cent of the red cell water is available for exchange into solutions of increasing tonicity.