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Erythrocyte Filterability, Fragility, and Membrane Proteins in Folic Acid Deficient Guinea Pigs

Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129

The purpose of this study was to determine if erythrocytes from folic acid-deficient guinea pigs could be used as a model for the study of defects which have been reported in megaloblastic anemic patients. Reported defects include decreased deformability and abnormal membrane proteins. Red cell filterability was studied with polycarbonate sieves and cellulose filters. Membrane proteins were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Severe folate deficiency in guinea pigs caused no change in erythrocyte filterability or membrane proteins. Thus, the defects which have been reported in human folic acid or vitamin B-12 deficiency are not present in all animals with the same nutrient deficiency. Folate deficiency, however, did cause guinea pig erythrocytes to be markedly less susceptible to hypotonic lysis than cells from control animals, a feature which is not characteristic of human megaloblastic anemia.

KEY WORDS: • Folic acid deficiency • erythrocyte deformability • erythrocyte fragility • erythrocyte membrane

Manuscript received 18 May 1981.