X-Message-Number: 15619
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 05:01:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: PEG 300 & 400 slowly permeate cells

Title
  Erythrocyte changes in aqueous polyethylene glycol solutions
  containing sodium chloride.
Source
  Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.  71(9):977-9, 1982 Sep.
Abstract
  The behavior of rabbit erythrocytes in aqueous solutions of
  polyethylene glycol 300 (I) and
  polyethylene glycol 400 (II) containing sodium chloride was
  investigated during 2-120 min incubation at 37 degrees. No
  hemolysis was found in I (0-10.1%) and II (0-12.9%)
  solutions in the presence of sodium chloride (0.45-1.35%), but prelytic
  potassium ion loss and changes in the appearance of the erythrocytes
  proceeded with the passage of time. The potassium ion loss increased with
  increasing concentration of polyethylene glycol and/or
  sodium chloride. The mean cellular volume of erythrocytes decreased
  temporarily (during the first 2 min) in both I (6.7%) and II (8.6%) solutions
  containing sodium chloride (0.68-1.35%), and then increased progressively to
  the same value as that determined by solution of sodium chloride at the same
  concentration but without polyethylene glycol (approximately
  30 and 120 min in I and II solutions, respectively). Both I (10.1%) and II
  (12.9%) induced a stomatocytic transformation of erythrocytes, but at the
  higher concentrations (0.9-1.35%) of sodium chloride, II accelerated the
  progress of spontaneous transformation of erythrocytes, but at the higher
  concentrations (0.9-1.35%) of sodium chloride, II accelerated the progress of
  spontaneous transformation to echinocytes. The results indicate that these
  solutions were not isotonic with rabbit erythrocytes.

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