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Solubilization of human erythrocyte membranes by non-ionic surfactants of the polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers series

2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 97; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0301-4622(02)00042-x

1873-4200

Paulo Sérgio Castilho Preté, Karolyna Gomes, Sônia Valéria Pinheiro Malheiros, Nilce Correa Meirelles, Eneida de Paula,

Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior

In the present study, we investigated the interaction of the non-ionic surfactants polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers (CnEm) with erythrocyte membranes. For this purpose we have performed hemolytic assays under isosmotic conditions with five surfactants in the 8 polyoxyethylene ether series. By applying to the hemolytic curves a quantitative treatment developed for the study of surface-active compounds on biomembranes, we could calculate the surfactant/lipid molar ratios for the onset of hemolysis (Resat) and for complete hemolysis (Resol). This approach also allowed the calculation of the binding constants for each surfactant to the erythrocyte membrane. Results in the CnEm series were compared to those obtained for Triton X-100, a well-known non-ionic surfactant with values of cmc and HLB in the range of the alkyl ethers studied. Inside the series the lytic effect increased with the more hydrophobic homologues (C10E8<C12E8<C14E8<C16E8<C18E8), with Re values between 3:1 and 0.03:1. The effect of C10E8 and C12E8 was found to be in the range of that caused by Triton X-100, proving that CnEm surfactants are strongly hemolytic.